May 3rd, 2012
Ira Isaacs, 60, was found guilty today in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on one count of engaging in the business of producing and selling obscene videos and four counts of distributing obscene videos, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Steve Martinez of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, and Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck.
A federal jury in the Central District of California found Isaacs guilty on all charged counts of a superseding indictment filed in April 2011.
Evidence presented at trial established that beginning in or about 1999 and continuing until at least 2011, Isaacs, doing business under the name L.A. Media, operated numerous websites, through which he advertised and sold obscene videos which he acquired from other persons. The obscene videos included a video approximately two hours in length of a female engaging in sex acts involving human bodily waste and a video one hour and 37 minutes in length of a female engaged in sex acts with animals.
The evidence presented at trial also established that in or about 2004, Isaacs began operating under the name Stolen Car Films, and made obscene videos in which he instructed women to engage in sexual activity involving human bodily waste. He subsequently advertised and sold the videos through his various websites.
Isaacs is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6, 2012.
Tags: obscene videos
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May 3rd, 2012
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff accused of smuggling drugs into a courthouse jail in a burrito pleaded no contest today, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Deputy District Attorney Amy Pellman Pentz of the Justice System Integrity Division said Henry Marin, 27, pleaded to one count each of bringing drugs into a jail and conspiracy to commit a crime.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25 in Department 118 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Marin entered an “open” plea to the court before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anne Egerton. At the next hearing, the court will hear arguments from the prosecution and the defense before deciding on a sentence.
The defendant was indicted in January for allegedly conspiring with another person or persons to transport narcotics into county jail on Feb. 23, 2010.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Marin was assigned to the Court Services Division at the Airport Courthouse. The defendant’s alleged criminal conduct took place between Jan. 27 and Feb. 23, 2010.
Marin has been relieved of duty, Sheriff’s officials said.
Tags: drug smuggling
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May 3rd, 2012
Senior citizens are targeted for scams for several reasons. They often have savings and are home owners with good credit, which allows them to consider investing their money for the benefit of themselves or their loved ones. On the other hand, they may be on a fixed budget or living just above the poverty line and anxious to find ways to cut costs or replenish retirement savings they’ve lost. Below are nine increasingly common ways criminals are taking advantage of seniors. Many scams relate to purchasing insurance. If you or a loved one has questions or are suspicious about an insurance provider, you can contact your state department of insurance for assistance.
Medicare fraud
Medicare provides guaranteed health care coverage for Americans age 65 or older. It is financed in part by payroll taxes and monthly premiums deducted from Social Security checks. Using illegally acquired doctor ID and patient Social Security numbers, criminals can, after establishing a fake health care clinic or pharmacy store, bill Medicare for treatments that never happened. These operations usually last six months to a year before the thieves pack up and disappear. To avoid inadvertently becoming a part of such a scam, seniors need to guard their Social Security number and closely review their quarterly Medicare Summary Notices. If the notice is too confusing, seniors should contact Medicare or their local Medicare office for assistance.
Stranger-owned life insurance policy (STOLI) fraud
Stranger-owned life insurance scams often specifically target seniors. Fraudulent investors convince seniors to purchase life insurance and then sell the policy over to them for a lump sum. The insured will then be asked to name the investor as the beneficiary. As part of the deal, the investor takes over the premium payments and receives death benefit proceeds once the insured dies. Seniors in need of the immediate cash may be unaware that such a transaction is illegal in many states, that they’ll have to pay taxes on any cash they receive for selling the policy, and, if the insurance company finds out about the transaction, find it difficult or impossible to obtain life insurance in the future. Investors often misrepresent the assets of the insured, which is illegal, in order to obtain a larger windfall when the insured dies.
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Tags: fraud, insurance scams
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May 2nd, 2012
LOS ANGELES – A man pleaded guilty today to the brutal 2010 first-degree murder and attempted robbery of a 74-year-old residential hotel manager and was immediately sentenced to 29 years to life in prison.
Deputy District Attorney Angela Jordan said Jian Hong Li, 41, admitted using a deadly weapon, a meat cleaver, when he attacked and killed Hideko Oyama, the manager of the Chetwood Hotel, on Jan. 5, 2010.
Li was living at the hotel in the 400 block of East Fourth Street when he decided to rob the hotel’s manager. After killing her, Li fled without any money, Jordan said. A tourist at the hotel later discovered the elderly woman’s body and called police. An investigation led to Li, who checked out of his room the same day her body was discovered.
Li was sentenced by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald Rose. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped the special circumstance of murder during a robbery, which meant Li did not face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Tags: murder. robbery
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May 2nd, 2012
RIVERSIDE, California – The former Mayor of Upland pleaded guilty today to a federal bribery charge, admitting that he accepted a $5,000 payment in exchange for helping a business obtain a conditional use permit from the city.
John Victor Pomierski, 58, who resigned as mayor last year after he was named in a grand jury indictment, pleaded guilty this morning before United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips. Pomierski becomes the third defendant to be convicted in relation to a corruption investigation in the City of Upland.
As a result of today’s guilty plea to the bribery charge, Pomierski faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Judge Phillips is scheduled to sentence Pomierski on August 6.
“The public is entitled to honesty and integrity from the elected officials whom they entrust with power,” said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. “Mr. Pomierski broke that trust when he decided to accept a bribe in return for a promise to circumvent the city’s well established permitting system. This kind of conduct is an affront to the voters who follow the law and play by the rules, and who have a right to expect their elected officials to do the same.”
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Tags: bribery, public corruption
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May 2nd, 2012
SAN DIEGO — Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis today announced the arrest of an individual who ran a sophisticated scheme at San Diego area Lowe’s and Home Depot stores in which he replaced the bar codes on expensive merchandise with bar codes that scanned at lower prices.
Steve Allen Koski, 42, of San Diego, was arraigned yesterday in San Diego Superior Court on 11 felony counts, including grand theft and 10 counts of burglary. His bail has been set at $250,000. He is being held in San Diego County Jail.
Koski stole or attempted to steal more than $30,000 in copper wire and other merchandise from Lowe’s and Home Depot stores. He then re-sold that merchandise to California recycling centers for over $180,000.
“For all the efficiency and conveniences that modern technologies provide, we are continuing to see criminals use these same technologies to defraud California businesses and consumers,” Attorney General Harris said. “The eCrime Unit is devoted to aggressively pursuing criminals who misappropriate modern technologies for their own benefit.”
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Tags: burglary, copper theft, fraud, grand theft
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May 1st, 2012
LOS ANGELES – A 10-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been charged in a felony complaint for arrest warrant for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with an underage girl, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Manuel Enrique Perallon Jr., 36 (dob 4/26/76), is charged in case No. BA396751 with one felony count of oral copulation of a person under 18 and misdemeanor child molesting.
Perallon, who was arrested yesterday and is out on $70,000 bond, is expected to be arraigned on May 16 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The case was filed for warrant on April 23.
The alleged offenses involve one victim and occurred between April 29 and May 1, 2011. At the time of the alleged crimes, Perallon was assigned to Cerritos Station where he oversaw the Explorer Program. The defendant met the victim, who was 16 at the time, through the program.
If convicted as charged, Perallon faces a maximum prison term of four years.
Tags: sex crime, underage sex
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May 1st, 2012
LANCASTER – An 18-year-old Littlerock man was sentenced to a potential life prison term today in a knife attack that left his 11-year-old cousin dead and her 14-year-old sister wounded, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Deputy District Attorney S. Kelly Cromer said Antelope Valley Superior Court Judge Hayden Zacky sentenced Lonnie Lee Liner to 11 years, plus 15 years to life. As part of the negotiated settlement of the case, the defendant waived almost two years of time already served in custody, the prosecutor said.
Liner pleaded no contest on March 28 to one count each of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. The defendant also admitted allegations of great bodily injury and personal use of knife in the commission of the attempted murder.
Liner attacked the girls in their Littlerock home on the morning of Aug. 3, 2010. The 11-year-old victim’s throat was slashed. She died inside the home. Her sister suffered multiple knife wounds, but managed to escape.
Tags: knife, murder, stabbing
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May 1st, 2012
VAN NUYS – A 21-year-old man was charged today with the murder of his girlfriend at her Reseda apartment, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
James Howard Jr. (dob 4/26/90) is charged in case No. LA070782 with one count of murder with the special allegation that he personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon, a sharp instrument, in the Feb. 2 killing. The complaint further alleges a 2010 robbery conviction out of Los Angeles County.
Deputy District Attorney Nancy Yaghoubian said Howard is expected to be arraigned today in Department 100 of Van Nuys Superior Court.
The victim, Sharilit Matthews, 41, was found in her home about a week after the murder, the prosecutor said.
The defendant’s bail is recommended at $1.070 million. If convicted as charged, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison.
Tags: murder, robbery
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April 27th, 2012
LOS ANGELES – A 10-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been charged in a felony complaint for arrest warrant for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with an underage girl, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Manuel Enrique Perallon Jr., 36 (dob 4/26/76), is charged in case No. BA396751 with one felony count of oral copulation of a person under 18 and misdemeanor child molesting.
Perallon, who was arrested yesterday and is out on $70,000 bond, is expected to be arraigned on May 16 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The case was filed for warrant on April 23.
The alleged offenses involve one victim and occurred between April 29 and May 1, 2011. At the time of the alleged crimes, Perallon was assigned to Cerritos Station where he oversaw the Explorer Program. The defendant met the victim, who was 16 at the time, through the program.
If convicted as charged, Perallon faces a maximum prison term of four years.
Tags: sex crimes, underage girl
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