FORMER LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICER, FORMER LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY AND TWO CO-CONSPIRATORS SENTENCED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

FORMER LOS ANGELES POLICE OFFICER, FORMER LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY AND TWO CO-CONSPIRATORS SENTENCED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

LOS ANGELES – Former Los Angeles Police Department Officer Jesse Moya, former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy and California Corrections Officer Rodrigo Duran, and two co-conspirators, Steve Quintero and Geronimo Sevilla, were sentenced today in federal court for their roles in a series of home-invasion robberies over a two-year period, the Justice Department announced today.  Moya was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years of post-incarceration supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $5,000. Duran was sentenced to 66 months in prison, and five years of post-incarceration supervised release. Sevilla received a sentence of 87 months along with three years of supervised release and a $ 1,500 fine. Quintero received a sentence of 57 months along with three years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine.

        Moya, Duran, Quintero and Sevilla all previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate civil rights.  In addition, Duran and Sevilla pleaded guilty to using a firearm during a crime of violence, and Duran pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law. Duran also testified in the January 2008 trial in which a federal jury found their fellow co-conspirators, William and Joseph Ferguson, guilty of conspiring to violate civil rights, conspiring to possess narcotics with intent to distribute, and possession of narcotics with intent to distribute.

        Evidence presented at the plea hearings and the January 2008 trial revealed that the four defendants sentenced today were members of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy that committed more than 40 burglaries and robberies throughout the Los Angeles area between early 1999 and June of 2001.  Former Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ruben Palomares was the ringleader of this conspiracy, which included other law enforcement officers as well as drug dealers.  The robberies generally were committed after the group received information that a particular location was involved in illegal drug-trafficking.  The robbery teams usually consisted of multiple sworn police officers in uniform or displaying badges, including Moya and Duran, who would gain access to the residence by falsely telling any occupants that they were conducting a legitimate search for drugs or drug dealers.  The other defendants also assisted in these raids, by conducting surveillance for the raids or by selling drugs taken during the raids and sharing the profits with the other conspirators.  Victims were often restrained, threatened or assaulted during the searches.

        In all, 17 defendants, including law enforcement officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of Corrections, have been convicted of federal crimes in connection with the conspiracy.  In prior sentencing hearings in this case, former Los Angeles Police Department officer William Ferguson was sentenced to 102 years imprisonment, his brother and former Long Beach Police Department officer Joseph Ferguson was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment, and former Los Angeles Police Department officer Ruben Palomares was sentenced to 158 months imprisonment.

        “These defendants and their fellow conspirators repeatedly abused their positions of trust to help them in their robbery and drug trafficking schemes,” said Grace Chung Becker,  Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “While the vast majority of law enforcement officers carry out their difficult duties in a professional manner, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who cross the line and commit such violent criminal acts.”

                “With former officers Moya and Duran now going to prison, five former law enforcement officials have been convicted and punished in this ugly case of police corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien. “With this dark chapter in Southern California law enforcement now behind us, we will remain vigilant to ensure that other rogue officers do not smear the reputations of the vast majority of our police who serve their communities with honor and integrity.”

Four years of home gains have been wiped out

Prices fall in all 20 cities in Case-Shiller index in past year
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – Home prices in 20 major U.S. cities have dropped a record 15.3% in the past year and are now back to where they were in 2004, according to the Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday by Standard & Poor’s.
Prices in the 20 cities are now down 17.8% from the peak two years ago. The biggest declines were seen in Las Vegas, Miami and Phoenix, with prices falling by 25% or more in the past year. Prices in 10 cities have fallen by more than 10%.
Prices were lower in April than they were a year earlier in all 20 cities tracked by the Case-Shiller index.

 ….{snip}….
Here’s the city-by-city breakdown in the Case-Shiller index:
Las Vegas, down 26.8% in the past year; Miami, down 26.7%; Phoenix, down 25%; Los Angeles, down 23.1%; San Diego, down 22.4%; San Francisco, down 22.1%; Tampa, down 20.4%; Detroit, down 18%; Minneapolis, down 15.5%; Washington, down 14.8%; Chicago, down 9.3%; New York, down 8.4%; Atlanta, down 7.5%; Cleveland, down 6.8%; Boston, down 6.4%; Seattle, down 4.9%; Denver, down 4.7%; Portland, down 4.7%; Dallas, down 3.4%; and Charlotte, down 0.1%

more:  http://urlet.com/production.gaining

Hospitals to drop local blood bank

St. Joseph Health System to allow SF blood bank to supply blood to Santa Rosa, Petaluma hospitals

By Martin Espinoza
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 5:10 a.m.

MARK ARONOFF / The Press Democrat

Samples of blood await testing for viruses, including HIV and hepatitis, at the Blood Bank of the Redwoods earlier this year.

….{snip}….

On Monday afternoon, St. Joseph Health System announced it had awarded the San Francisco center a contract to supply blood to Santa Rosa Memorial and Petaluma Valley hospitals.

The move ends a 60-year relationship between St. Joseph and Blood Bank of the Redwoods

….{snip}….

Blood Bank of the Redwoods President and CEO Cathy Bryan blasted St. Joseph’s decision and said she feared a new competitive environment would cause confusion and discourage possible blood donors.

St. Joseph officials said their decision to go with Blood Centers of the Pacific is aimed at reducing costs at the Santa Rosa and Petaluma hospitals, where the “per patient adjusted” cost for blood was a little more than $25, compared with $15 to $20 at its nearest hospitals in Napa and Eureka.

….{snip}….

 

The nonprofit Blood Centers of the Pacific, an affiliate of the giant Arizona-based Blood Systems, serves 40 hospitals in Northern California, including medical centers in Napa, Willits, Clearlake and Ukiah.

….{snip}….

more: http://urlet.com/discussion.kenny

One more mad-cow case discovered in B.C.

The Canadian Press

June 24, 2008

Ottawa — Another case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, has been found in B.C., the third in the past three years in the province and one of a dozen across the country.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency isn’t saying where the infected cow is located but an investigation is under way to determine where it was born.

http://urlet.com/dual.multifaced

 

Northern California Lightning Caused Wildfire Summary

Northern California Lightning Series Summary

Northern California Lightning Series Summary Incident Information:
Last Updated:	June 23, 2008 5:30 pm
Date/Time Started:	June 20, 2008 12:00 pm
Administrative Unit:	CAL FIRE Operational Units
County:	Various counties and locations throughout Northern California.
Location:	Various counties and locations throughout Northern California.
Acres Burned:
Containment
Conditions:	Summary of Fires by UnitSiskiyou Unit: All 8 fires have been contained for a total of 10 acres. The Klamath National Forest has the Siskiyou Complex which is near Happy Camp that is 600 acres with no containment. Humboldt-Del Norte Unit: 51 fires for more than 900 acres, with 4 new fires today. The Paradise Fire is Northeast of Shelter Cove and is 600 acres and 5% contained, The Redcrest Fire is 30 acres, the High Fire is in Humboldt Redwood State Park with unknown acreage or containment, the Carson Fire is 40 acres and 50% contained, the Hansen Fire is 2 acres with unknown containment, the Williams Fire is 25 acres and 50% contained, In the BLM Headwaters Forest there are three additional small fires buring. Mendicino Unit: Approx. 131 fires have been reported, buring more than 8,900 acres. Incident Command Team #4 has been assigned to this complex. The Orr Fire is 200 acres and has evacuations of the Orr Springs Resort and 50 homes in the area, the Navarro Fire is 1,400 acres and 5% contained, the Cherry fire is 50 acres and 50% contained, the Foster Fire is 50 acres and 50% contained, the Table Mtn. Fire is 1,000 acres and 5% contained, the Mallo Pass Fire is 800 acres, and the Juan Creek fires (2) are at 100 acres each. There are 8 additional fires at 30 acres each. The Mendocino Fire Information Number is (707) 972-3846.

http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=277

Air Board working with NASA to examine California’s air pollution

Air Board working with NASA to examine California’s air pollution
World’s most advanced technology studying state’s smog, greenhouse gas emissions

SACRAMENTO: At the request of scientists at the Air Resources Board, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will perform a series of flights between June 18 and June 25 to examine the atmosphere over the state to better understand the chemical dynamics of smog and greenhouse gases.

NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory is flying a series of flights originating at the Dryden Flight Research Center in Palmdale over southern California, the San Joaquin Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and over the Pacific. The DC-8 is configured for atmospheric composition measurements as part of a large environmental science campaign to study the impact of air pollution on the Arctic’s atmospheric chemistry and changing climate. NASA is also sending a specially outfitted P3 aircraft from its Ames Research Center in Mountain View to fly over northern California for additional sampling during the same time period.

The flights will gather samples aimed at helping ARB to:

• Obtain a better picture of greenhouse gas emission sources throughout the state;
• Characterize the types of pollution into the state from off-shore; and
• Distinguish the differences in air mass chemistry between urban and rural areas.

“This collaboration will give us information on how pollution is created, transported and even destroyed,” said Bart Croes, chief of the ARB’s Research Division. “The use of highly sophisticated technology to gather data at heights far beyond our normal reach and collaboration with NASA’s very knowledgeable science and flight teams combine to create a rare opportunity.”

The Air Resources Board has been a world leader in developing and implementing aggressive, cutting edge pollution control measures to combat smog and particulate matter for 40 years. The agency is also now working to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 as required by the AB32, the Global Warming Solutions Act that Governor Schwarzenegger signed in 2006

http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr061908.htm

George Carlin

Tonight’s forecast…dark, continued mostly dark throughout
the evening with widely scattered light in the morning.

– George Carlin (1937-2008 )

Another Brother Dies Alone

Another victim.  Who is killing homeless people in Humboldt?  Who is stalking homeless people with an aluminum baseball bat? 

We don’t believe Frank Jager.   This could be a natural death like Jager says, or it could be a homicide.  Homeless people don’t seem to have any value for Frank Jager.  Homeless people are not “transients.”

ARE YOU PROUD OF EUREKA?  Violence that targets  the homeless is a hate crime!

http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_9657044

Northern California Wildfire Map

 

 

 

Active Fire Map:  http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/activefiremaps.php?op=maps&rCode=cgb

California Active Fire Map:  http://firecenter.berkeley.edu/cafiremap/gmap_html/gmodis.html

Louisiana Man Busted after Medical Marijuana Shipped from Mendocino

Thibodaux man arrested for medical marijuana

JOHN DeSANTIS
City Editor

Published: Monday, June 23, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, June 23, 2008 at 11:33 a.m.

GRAY — A shipment of medical-grade marijuana allegedly bound for Louisiana from California was intercepted by State Police Thursday, resulting in the arrest of two men living in a Thibodaux apartment on drug charges.

State Police Troop C spokesman Gilbert Dardar said local troopers were contacted Wednesday by authorities in Mendocino, Calif., and notified that a “large amount of marijuana” was en route from a private delivery service to 2316 St. Bernard Road, Apt. E.

more:  http://urlet.com/desired.trumps