News

Two Men Indicted for Assaulting Correctional Officers at U.S. Penitentiary Atwater

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Daniel Higgins, 38, of Morro Bay, and Austin Noblitt, 33, of Portland, Oregon, charging each with two counts of assault on a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Nov. 21, 2022, Higgins and Noblitt assaulted two Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officers at U.S. Penitentiary (USP) Atwater in Merced County. Higgins and Noblitt punched the officers repeatedly on their heads and torsos, causing bodily injuries to both officers.

Man Charged with Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distribution in Madera County

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Jesus Cota Verdugo, 21, of Mexico, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 11, 2023, Verdugo crashed his vehicle into another Chowchilla vehicle and fled from the scene. Law enforcement officers recovered his vehicle on the side of the road with the keys in the ignition and running. Inside the vehicle, officers recovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, an FN Scar rifle, an Aero Precision AR rifle, an Anderson rifle, an HK AR pistol, and a Springfield XD-9 pistol.

Man Found Dead in House Following Fire

MADERA - The Madera County Sheriff’s Communications Center received a call Tuesday evening regarding a suspicious person acting erratically at a property in the 27000 block of Avenue 16 in Madera. Deputies arrived on the scene and encountered an adult male armed with a rifle. He quickly retreated into the primary residence on the property and refused instructions to come out of the residence.

Shortly after 10 pm, deputies observed the man ignite a fire inside the residence. CALFIRE responded to the area, along with Madera PD and EMS. The fire ultimately destroyed the primary residence on the property. Once it was extinguished, a deceased person was found inside the structure. Identification of the deceased individual will be withheld pending formal identification and notification of next of kin.

Eighth Defendant Pleads Guilty to Porterville-Based Drug Ring

FRESNO - Xochil Aguilera, 39, of Porterville, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Aguilera is the eighth defendant, in this case, to plead guilty. According to court documents, Aguilera served as a courier of drugs and money for the drug trafficking operation. On July 14, 2020, she delivered 800 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl; on Sept. 23, 2020, she received $2,000 from co-defendant James Cox for a half pound of methamphetamine; and on Nov. 12, 2020, she received $1,850 from an undercover agent for the sale of 1,100 fentanyl pills. Aguilera is the wife of Pedro Delgado-Montenegro, 43, who is also charged with participating in the drug trafficking organization. In pleading guilty, Aguilera agreed to the forfeiture of $27,021, which represents drug proceeds seized in this case.

Bakersfield Pain Management Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

FRESNO - Janardhan Grandhe, 65, of Bakersfield, was sentenced to one year and one day of prison today for tax evasion, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Grandhe was a pain management doctor in Bakersfield, doing business as Central Valley Pain Management (CVPM). In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Grandhe willfully filed false tax returns for CVPM with overstated expenses and false individual tax returns for himself that omitted gross receipts he received. In total, Grandhe evaded personal tax liability exceeding $300,000.

Former Public Official Sentenced for Bid Rigging and Bribery

SACRAMENTO - A former Caltrans contract manager and a former contractor were sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento for their roles in a bid-rigging and bribery scheme involving Caltrans improvement and repair contracts.

Choon Foo “Keith” Yong, the former Caltrans contract manager, was sentenced to 49 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $984,699.53 in restitution. According to a plea agreement filed on April 11, 2022, Yong and his co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy from early 2015 through late 2019 to thwart the competitive bidding process for Caltrans contracts to ensure that companies controlled by Yong’s co-conspirators submitted the winning bid and would be awarded the contract.

Fresno County Deputies Rescue Kayakers Stranded on River; Citations Issued

FRESNO COUNTY - On Thursday afternoon, April 20th, firefighters with the Fresno Fire Department rescued two people and a dog in an inflatable kayak. They got into a dangerous situation on the San Joaquin River.

As the kayakers drifted downstream, they drifted into trees, which popped their kayak. They were able to call 911 for help. Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies and Fresno Fire Department firefighters responded to get them off the river safely. Deputies then issued the two people citations for illegally accessing the river.