News

Fresno County Detectives Arrest Fraudulent Auto Broker; Seek Victims

FRESNO - Detectives with the Fresno H.E.A.T. (Help Eliminate Auto Theft) Task Force have arrested 56-year-old Christopher Michael Asher of Fresno. On March 30th, he was booked into the Fresno County Jail on numerous auto theft and forgery charges. His bail was set at $117,000. He has since posted bond and been released from jail with a court hearing scheduled for May 19th.

Detectives began this investigation in August 2022. This was after learning that a Huntington Beach car dealer was searching for one of its vehicles in the Fresno area listed as stolen. HEAT detectives determined the Huntington Beach dealer originally sold this vehicle to Christopher Asher for $58,000. Asher presented himself as the general manager of Artanis Automotive, located at 5494 E. Lamona Ave. in Fresno. Since Artanis had a valid licensed dealer number, the Huntington Beach business finalized the transaction by sending the vehicle to Fresno. However, the check Asher sent to Huntington Beach bounced when the business tried cashing it.

Former Fresno Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $70,000

FRESNO — Lladira Hernandez, 23, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to stealing more than $70,000 from multiple customers’ accounts at a Fresno-based bank where she was previously employed, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in April 2022, Hernandez was hired by the bank as a customer service representative. She began stealing the bank account information for customers she helped over the phone and used it to pay bills for herself and her associates.

Fresno Woman Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison for $300,000 COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud

FRESNO — Cecilia Aquino, 32, of Fresno, was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison for submitting over $300,000 in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and Small Business Administration (SBA) loan applications during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court records, from June through November 2020, Aquino went on a crime spree where she submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance claims and loan applications in seven states using stolen identities.

Bakersfield Man Sentenced to Prison for Laser Strikes on Sheriff Helicopter

FRESNO. — Andrew Nathan Hernandez, 20, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to four months in prison for knowingly aiming the laser pointer beam at a Kern County Sheriff’s helicopter, Air One, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Dec. 26, 2020, Hernandez struck the beam of a green laser at the Sheriff’s helicopter multiple times. Hernandez attended a street race in Hughes and White Lane in Bakersfield then.

Snapchat Gun Dealer Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

SACRAMENTO - Andrew Jace Larrabure-Tuma, 20, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison for unlawful dealing and manufacturing firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Tuma used Snapchat to advertise narcotics and guns for sale. Law enforcement used undercover officers and a confidential informant to buy guns from Tuma. Tuma was 19 and could not legally purchase a gun in the state of California. Instead, Tuma ordered kits from the internet, including from a company called Polymer 80, a licensed firearms manufacturer in Nevada, and manufactured his own firearms and then sold the guns.

Fresno County Couple Pleads Guilty to Hacking Database and Selling Info on the Dark Web

FRESNO - Former Navy couple, Marquis Hooper, 32, and Natasha Chalk, 39, of Selma, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy where they hacked a database that contained personally identifiable information (PII) and sold it on the dark web for $160,000 in digital currency, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Hooper also pleaded guilty to underlying wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

According to court records, when Hooper was a chief petty officer and Chalk was a reservist in the Navy, Hooper opened an account with a private company that maintains a database containing PII for millions of people. The company restricts access to the database to businesses and government agencies that have a demonstrated, lawful need for the PII. Beginning in August 2018, Hooper opened an online account with the company by falsely representing that the Navy needed him to perform background checks on sailors. After Hooper opened his account, he added Chalk. The couple used Hooper’s access to the company’s database to obtain the PII of over 9,000 people. They then sold the PII on the dark web for $160,000.

Detectives Arrest Man for Homicide Following Fight at a Football Party

FRESNO - Homicide Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have arrested 43-year-old Gilbert Luis Diosdado of Clovis. He has been booked into the Fresno County Jail on one charge of murder. His bail is set at $1 million. Shortly before 4:30 pm on Saturday, January 14th, deputies responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.

The location was a home on the 2700 block of N. Rolinda Ave. in Fresno. Deputies and firefighters with Cal Fire arrived and found a 30-year-old man named William Ronald Reynolds, who was suffering from life-threatening wounds to his head and neck. First responders began treating Reynolds. He was then transported to Community Regional Medical Center and taken into surgery. On Sunday, he died as a result of his injuries.