News

Thirteen Charged in Fresno Interstate Multi-Drug Ring

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned two indictments Thursday arising from a single investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in California and trafficking drugs to Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced today. The grand jury charged Fresno residents Jesus Gonzalez-Burgos, 36, Gabriel Gomez-Nunez, 36, and Jose Rubalcalva Gutierrez Jr., 34, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.

The grand jury also charged the following defendants with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl: Juan Alejandro Comparan-Guzman, 34, of Kerman; Quintin Jeuh Carlos-Bañuelos, 25, of Palo Alto; Hector Gomez, 27, of Omaha, Nebraska; Francisco Ramírez, 20, of Fresno; Lorena Ramírez, 36, of Fresno; Christina Maria Nino, 57, of Fresno; Anna Concepcion Jimenez-Ambriz, 21, of Fresno; Rafael Zaragoza, 28, of Fresno; Carol Maldonaldo Vasquez, 32, of Corcoran; and Rita Ann-Marie Louis, 29, of Carnation, Washington.

Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Burglarizing Kern County Post Office

FRESNO - Ryan James Taylor, 34, of Oxnard, pleaded guilty today to burglary of a post office, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2018, Taylor forcibly broke into the Mojave Post Office in Kern County and stole United States Mail from the outgoing mail drop bin.

After breaking into the post office, Taylor also stole a United States mail truck. The stolen mail included a Starbucks gift card that Taylor later used to purchase a coffee drink and a check that he endorsed over to himself, all without authorization.

Fresno Man Guilty of Conspiring to Produce False Identification Documents

FRESNO - Isaias Herrera-Ortiz, 29, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and production of false identification documents, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, between February 2018 and November 2019, Herrera-Ortiz and his co-conspirators produced, possessed, transferred, and sold false identification documents.

These documents included fraudulent lawful permanent resident or LPR cards and fraudulent social security numbers or SSN cards. In particular, Herrera-Ortiz admitted that on Feb. 28, 2018, he sold three LPR cards and three SSN cards to a customer for $390.00.

Kern County Man Charged with Production, Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornograph

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Andrew James Sarnowski, 22, of Rosamond, charging him with separate counts of production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography, and two additional counts of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Sarnowski produced multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of a minor less than a year of age and shared them online through an encrypted social media application. Pursuant to a search of his residence, additional electronic devices belonging to Sarnowski were identified and found to contain hundreds of additional child pornography files, including those depicting pre-pubescent boys and girls being sexually abused.

Joseph Castro Leaves Fresno State to be Appointed Eighth CSU Chancellor

FRESNO - The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Joseph I. Castro, Ph.D., to serve as the eighth chancellor of the California State University. Castro has served as the eighth president of California State University, Fresno since 2013. He is the first California native and first Mexican American to be appointed to oversee the 23-campus university. Castro will succeed Timothy P. White who is retiring after leading the university since late 2012.

“The California State University provides unprecedented and transformational opportunities for students from all backgrounds to earn a high-quality college degree and to better their families, their communities and the industries in which they become leaders. There is no other institution that makes this great of an impact on the entire state – the CSU is key to a growing and thriving California," said Castro. “I am truly grateful for and excited about this unique and wonderful opportunity, and I look forward to working with the talented faculty, staff and presidents of the 23 campuses as well the Board of Trustees and executives and staff at the Chancellor's Office to further increase achievement for our 482,000 students."

Former Clovis Pastor Defrauded Church Congregants of Over $2 Million - Pleads Guilty to Real Estate Development Fraud

FRESNO - Sherman Smith, 74, of Monterey, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, Smith was the executive pastor of Sonrise Church of Clovis.

Smith induced investors, including church congregants, to give money to the church by representing that the money would be used to finance a real estate development project for the benefit of the church. Smith made appeals from the pulpit, via email, and in-person for monies to pay off the church’s mortgage and fund an income-generating development.

Teenager Killed in Central Madera Shooting (UPDATE)

MADERA – Madera Police are investigating the homicide of a teenager in Central Madera. Officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of West 4th Street around 9:30 PM Wednesday evening regarding a man who had been shot. The 19-year-old victim was transported to Madera Community Hospital where he died from his wounds.

While detectives are still at the beginning stages of the investigation, the murder may have been gang-related. .Detectives and officers are still working the scene and gathering evidence. At this time Madera Police have no further information but stay tuned to BVN for updates throughout the day.