News

Traffic Stop in Fresno County Results in Charges for Washington Residents Traveling with 300,000 Fentanyl Pills

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Joseph Hill, 40, of Mount Vernon, Washington, and Brigit Marie Bissell, 27, of Bothell, Washington, charging them with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Jan. 14, 2022, Hill and Bissell were traveling northbound on Interstate 5 in Fresno County, when stopped by police for speeding. When the officer had his narcotics detection dog run a sweep around the car, the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed three bags containing approximately 75 pounds of fentanyl or over 300,000 fentanyl pills.

Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Attempting to Sell Large Amounts of Fentanyl, Cocaine and Methamphetamine

FRESNO - Jose Mario Quintero Beltran, 31, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on March 31, Quintero Beltran arranged to meet a customer at a Bakersfield shopping mall and sell him 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl for $42,000. During their meeting, Quintero Beltran also offered to sell the customer methamphetamine. Afterward, law enforcement officers searched Quintero Beltran’s vehicle and residence and located a total of 51,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, approximately 40 pounds of cocaine, and approximately 3 pounds of crystal and liquid methamphetamine, all of which Quintero Beltran intended to distribute to others.

REVIEW: Madera Grocery Outlet: You’ll Save Money But You Need To Do Your Homework

REVIEW - Madera’s Grocery Outlet on Cleveland Avenue has been open for the last ten years, but it is not the first time the discount chain has had a store in Madera. In the 90s, they were in the space now home to the Planet Fitness Gym. These two stores couldn’t be further apart in comparison. Grocery Outlet, which first opened in 1947 in the Bay area as “Cannery Sales,” used to be a place to buy government surplus, out-of-date food products, dented can or damaged box products, or just products that could no longer be sold in a traditional grocery store.

Today, there is less out-of-date and damaged food, more discounts, and overstocked and closeout products from name brand and private label suppliers, with brands you may have never heard of before. The current grocery outlet probably has Madera’s largest selection of wine at a major discount over local liquor stores. The same large selection can be found in the deli area with a vast selection of cheeses and lunch meats. You won’t find a better price in town on milk, pasta, beans, rice, or bread.

Fentanyl “M30 King of Fresno” Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison

FRESNO - Horacio Torrecillas Urias Jr., 24, of Fresno, was sentenced today to 23 years and one month in prison for distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, the investigation began after a series of fentanyl pill overdoses in the Fresno area. These overdoses were caused by counterfeit oxycodone M30 tablets containing fentanyl, referred to on the street as M30s. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Killer High,” targeted the drug dealers believed to have supplied the toxic pills that caused the spike in fentanyl-related overdoses. The operation uncovered a large drug-trafficking ring led by Torrecillas Urias, the self-proclaimed “M30 king of Fresno.”

Corcoran Correctional Officer Charged With Conspiring With An Inmate To Assault Another Inmate

FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Raquel Mosqueda, 36, of Porterville, California, and Jimmie L. Carter, 44, charging them with conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of another inmate at California State Prison-Corcoran, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Mosqueda was a Correctional Officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Carter was an inmate. According to court documents, on or around April 20, 2022, Mosqueda, while serving as a correctional officer at California State Prison-Corcoran, agreed with Carter to permit Carter to “get rid of” the victim. Mosqueda facilitated an assault of the victim by permitting Carter and other inmates to enter the victim’s cell and assault him. The assault caused bodily injury to the victim.

Bitwise Founders Sentenced to 11 Years and 9 Years in Prison for $115 Million Fraud

FRESNO - Jake Soberal, 38, and Irma Olguin, Jr., 44, the founders and leaders of the failed Fresno-based start-up company, Bitwise Industries (“Bitwise”), were sentenced to 11 years and 9 years in prison, respectively, for defrauding people out of approximately $115,000,000, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.

“Defendants likened themselves to gods and joked about deceiving their well-intentioned investors while committing a massive fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “They lied repeatedly to pull in over $100 million to a dying business venture that they knew never had any meaningful revenue. To make themselves rich and keep up the façade, they used fabricated bank statements, false financial information, forged documents, and fake loan collateral. These sentences remind me of the hazards of such financial crimes, and my office will continue to work with the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who commit them vigorously.”

Arrest Made in Chowchilla for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

CHOWCHILLA - The Madera County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the distribution of child sexual abuse material activity in Madera County. Detectives identified 39-year-old Chowchilla resident Ralph Contreras Jr., a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sergeant, as a suspect in the case.

On January 2, 2025, detectives, alongside the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at a residence in the 11000 block of Muirfield Road in Chowchilla. Contreras Jr. was arrested for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material and is now in custody at the Madera County Jail.