News

FRESNO -  On November 22, 2019, federal authorities arrested Miguel Deniz, 29, of Farmersville, who is charged in a three-count indictment with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession of a machinegun, United States Attorney McGregor Scott announced. 

Deniz ordered four “auto-sear” devices over the internet to his home address. Auto-sear devices are used to convert semi-automatic firearms to fire like fully automatic machineguns. The package was intercepted by law enforcement, and on May 1, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled delivery of the package to Deniz’s residence.

SACRAMENTO - Wayne Arthur York II, 51, most recently of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. According to court documents, York, while working in boiler rooms located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, would call timeshare owners to offer to arrange for the sale of Mexican timeshare vacation rentals. 

York would falsely claim that he and his coconspirators represented companies that had already secured or arranged for buyers who were ready to pay for the timeshares.  In truth, no buyers had actually been arranged.  Instead, York and others would convince the victims of the fraud to wire money from bank accounts in the United States and Canada to bank accounts in Mexico for alleged up-front payments including taxes, fees, and commissions to make the sale of the timeshare occur. 

FRESNO -  A three-count indictment was unsealed today charging Eric Lopez Mercado, 25, of Lemoore, and Jose Moreno, 24 of Hanford, with illegally possessing and transferring machine guns, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

The indictment charges Mercado and Moreno with possessing several pistols that had no serial number markings but had conversion devices attached to the rear of the firearms that enabled them to function as fully automatic weapons. Both men are also charged with transferring a machine gun to another person and possessing a device capable of converting a handgun into a machine gun.

FRESNO -  A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Pedro Alegra Jr., 21, of Delano, and Edgardo Rosales-Andrade, 23, of Paramount, charging them with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Rosales-Andrade was also charged with the illegal importation of narcotics, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

“The investigation of international drug trafficking operations is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Tatum King, a special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco. “HSI in the Central Valley employs all of its resources to prevent these dangerous criminal networks from threatening our communities.”

FRESNO  -   A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Georgia Nicole Dean, 36, and Ashley Michelle Hill, 32, both of Coarsegold, charging them with selling heroin that resulted in the overdose death of another Coarsegold resident, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. Dean and Hill are also charged with conspiring to distribute the heroin that resulted in the victim’s death.

According to court documents, on Aug. 22, Dean and Hill drove to the victim’s residence and sold heroin to him. It is alleged that the victim’s death resulted from the use of the mixture or substance containing heroin.

SACRAMENTO - Kioni M. Dogan, 39, of Stockton, was sentenced today to four years in prison for criminal conspiracies to submit false claims for federal income tax refunds and to commit mail fraud in connection with California state unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

In sentencing, U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez said Dogan’s criminal conduct was “a slap in the face to law-abiding citizens” who comply with our tax system and who turn to unemployment benefits in times of real need.