Inmate Charged in Death of Another

Jeffery Hill

On Monday afternoon, Sacramento Sheriff’s Homicide detectives arrested thirty-three year old Jeffery Hill for the death of another inmate in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail. Already in custody for unrelated charges, Hill was add-booked for a single count of murder, and will remain in custody, ineligible for bail.

On the morning of Friday, March 25, 2011, Hill launched an unprovoked assault on fifty-eight year old Eugene Carr, who was also in custody at the jail. Carr was transported to an area hospital, and died of his injuries the following day. The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office determined that Carr died as a result of blunt force trauma.

Homicide detectives have not established a motive for this incident, and the investigation into this case is ongoing.

Garden Valley Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

Charles Douglas Johnson, 47, of Garden Valley, California, was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison for receiving child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner for the Eastern District of California.

U.S. District Judge Edward Garcia also ordered Johnson to serve 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison. Johnson pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2010.

According to court documents, images of child pornography were found on Johnson’s work laptop computer after he was terminated for allegedly stealing trade secrets. The computer was returned to the company on July 27, 2007, and the company sent it to a private forensic lab to see if any company trade secrets had been stored improperly on the computer. During this analysis, the forensic analyst found evidence of child pornography. A forensic review revealed 2,100 images of child pornography that had been downloaded onto the computer between Sept. 27, 2005, and June 18, 2007. In addition, 80 videos of child pornography were recovered.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC mobilizes federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Folsom, Calif., Police Department; the El Dorado County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department; the FBI’s Cyber Crime Task Force and CEOS’ High Technology Investigative Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Prince for the Eastern District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Keith Becker of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

DUI checkpoint in Rancho Cordova this Friday night

The Rancho Cordova Police Department will be holding a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Sobriety and Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, March 25, 2011 in the City of Rancho Cordova. The checkpoint will be operational that day from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Officers will be checking drivers for signs of impairment, providing educational materials outlining the dangers of driving while impaired, and checking for driver’s licenses. This checkpoint operation will be conducted utilizing funds from a grant provided to the Rancho Cordova Police Department by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

Fact Checking House Majority Leader Eric Cantor

See below for a fact check in response to Leader Cantor’s speech to the Hoover Institute this afternoon at Stanford University:

CANTOR  RHETORIC: “We’ve got to shift from having a government that smothers new jobs and business growth to one that nurtures an environment for getting people back to work and back to what Americans do best: innovate, compete and lead.” [Cantor Remarks To the Hoover Institution, 3/21/11]

REALITY: OBAMA’S POLICIES HAVE CREATED MILLIONS OF JOBS AND PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS HAVE ADDED 1.5 MILLION JOBS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS

Ø  Private Employers Added 1.5 Million Jobs In The Last 12 Months And The Unemployment Rate Dropped .9% Points Over The Last Three Months, The Largest Such Decline Since 1983. [White House Council Of Economic Advisers Blog, 3/4/11]

Ø  CBO Said The Recovery Act Increased The Number Of People Employed By Up To 3.6 Million. [ABC News, 11/24/10]

Ø  USA Today: “President Obama’s Proposed Fiscal 2012 Budget Is Potentially a Massive Job-Creation Engine.” [USA Today,2/15/11]

REALITY: PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS CUT TAXES ON SMALL BUSINESSES 17 TIMES

Ø  Obama Has Signed 17 Small Business Tax Cuts Into Law.  [White House Blog, 2/25/11]

CANTOR  RHETORIC: Eric Cantor attacked TARP, saying the economy “became worse after the near collapse of our financial markets in fall of 2008. The subsequent passage of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and other bailout programs left people asking: ‘What happened to the idea that if you worked hard, and played by rules, you got ahead?’” [Cantor Remarks To the Hoover Institution, 3/21/11]

REALITY: CANTOR VOTED IN FAVOR OF TARP

Ø  Cantor Voted Yea On The House TARP Vote (HR 1424, Vote 681, 10/3/08, Passed 263-171):

REALITY: TARP HELPED BRING THE U.S. FINANCIAL SECTOR BACK FROM THE BRINK

Ø  WSJ: TARP Efforts “Appear To Have Helped Stabilize The Financial Sector” [Wall Street Journal, 12/7/09]

Ø  WSJ: “Buoyed By A Resurgent Wall Street” The Obama Administration Plans To Cut The Long-Term Projected Cost of TARP by $200 Billion. [Wall Street Journal, 12/7/09]

Steven Zinda from Rio Linda arrested in suspected homicide

Steven Zinda of Rio Linda

On Sunday afternoon, Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives arrested twenty-nine year old Steven ZINDA for killing a man he believed to have been responsible for a burglary to his residence in the early morning hours today. ZINDA was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on a single count of murder, and will remain in custody ineligible for bail at this time.

Shortly after 4:30 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from ZINDA at his residence in the 7200 block of 2nd Street in Rio Linda. ZINDA stated that he had returned home and interrupted a burglary to his residence, seeing a male subject flee from the location. Shortly after, ZINDA observed a male subject outdoors near his residence. Believing this person to be involved somehow in the burglary, ZINDA confronted him with a weapon and the man fled on foot. ZINDA gave chase, eventually catching the male subject nearly a quarter of a mile away. At that time, a confrontation took place, culminating with ZINDA attacking the male, who was fatally wounded during the altercation.

Upon deputies’ arrival at ZINDA’S residence, he directed them to the location, a nearby field, where he had wounded the man. Paramedics responded to the scene, and pronounced the subject, who had suffered trauma to his head and upper body, dead at the scene. ZINDA was detained, and later interviewed by Homicide Detectives regarding the incident. As a result of that interview, detectives developed probable cause to arrest ZINDA for the murder of the male victim. Detectives also recovered the weapon that they believe was used by ZINDA during the attack.

At this point in the investigation, detectives have not established any connection between the victim in this case and the burglary to ZINDA’S residence. Although investigation into this incident continues, detectives believe there is a likelihood that the victim was killed under ZINDA’S mistaken assumption that he was involved somehow in the burglary.

Anyone having information about this incident is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (916) 874-5115.

Public Invited to Meet the Sheriff in North Sacramento

On Thursday, March 24, 2011, the public is invited to attend the first “Sheriff’s Chat”, hosted by Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. This event is designed to give members of the community the chance to meet Sheriff Jones, and ask questions or address concerns regarding the Sheriff’s Department and the communities which it serves.

This event will take place at the Sheriff’s North Central Division Service Center in the Marconi Room, located at 2500 Marconi Avenue, Suite #100, and will last from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

Attendees will be allowed the opportunity to speak with Sheriff Jones one-on-one, on a first come-first served basis, as time permits. Light refreshments will be available to those in attendance.

Detectives Seek Information in South Sacramento Slaying

At approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning Sacramento Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 6500 block of Rancho Grande Way in south Sacramento, regarding a deceased male at the location. Investigation revealed that the subject had suffered trauma to his head and upper body. Deputies contacted another male subject, who had transported the victim to the location from another residence in a nearby neighborhood.

The witness stated that he had gone to a home nearby on Stamper Way and found the victim unresponsive, having suffered significant injuries. He then transported the victim to the house on Rancho Grande Way, and summoned medical attention from there. Paramedics responded and pronounced the victim, a male in his twenties, dead at the scene.

Investigation into this incident is ongoing. Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives have not established a motive for the victim’s death, and have no suspect information at this time. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (916) 874-5115, Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP, or send a text message tip to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Those who call or text can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Local Real Estate bigwig pleads guilty to charges

Michael Lyon will not serve jail time

District Attorney Jan Scully announced today that Michael Lyon pled guilty to four felony counts of surreptitious recording of confidential communications, arising out of his sexual encounters with four

separate women.

The investigation into the Lyon matter was begun based on disclosures and computer materials provided to authorities by an ex-girlfriend of Lyon. The original court complaint (filed November 10, 2010) charged offenses involving three different victims, and offenses which occurred in 2008 and 2009. At today’s court proceeding, the District Attorney filed an amended complaint with a previously uncharged incident, involving a fourth woman, which took place on September 13, 2010.

The new count is based on evidence found in computer equipment seized with a search warrant at the time of Lyon’s arrest in November. The newly charged offense occurred approximately one month after public disclosure that the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department had begun a joint investigation into Lyon’s possible violation of state law. In court today, Lyon pled guilty to one count for each of the four victims. 

Following the pleas, Lyon was sentenced by the Honorable Gary Ransom to a suspended state prison sentence of two years and placed on probation with various conditions including a term of one year in county jail.

The D.A.’s and Sheriff’s investigation began after federal authorities completed an investigation into possible violations of federal law. The federal investigation was closed without filing any charges.

Eighth Elk Grove Holiday Inn murder suspect arrested today

Jahmal Dawson

Police get tip on suspects whereabouts

Detectives from the Elk Grove Police Department have arrested an eighth person in connection with the murder of 18-year old D'Andre Blackwell.

On March 7, 2011, the Elk Grove Police Department received a tip from the Sacramento Citizen’s Crime Alert Program on the location of 18-year-old Jahmal Dawson, who was wanted in connection with the June 5, 2010 homicide of Blackwell. This morning, Detectives from the Elk Grove Police Department arrested Dawson at an apartment complex in Sacramento.

Crime Alert plays a vital role in providing tips from the community to local law enforcement agencies,” said Captain Bryan Noblett. “Because of this tip, our department was able to remove an armed and dangerous person from the community”.

Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to call the Elk Grove Police Department Detective Bureau at (916) 478-8060 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Callers to Crime Alert can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Tips can also be sent via SMS text message by entering CRIMES (274637) on a cell phone, followed by Tip732 (agency identification number) and the message.

DUI & Driver's License Checkpoint in Rancho Cordova this Friday night

The Rancho Cordova Police Department will be holding a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Sobriety and Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, March 4, 2011 in the City of Rancho Cordova. The checkpoint will be operational that day from 2000 Hours to 0200 Hours.

Officers will be checking drivers for signs of impairment, providing educational materials outlining the dangers of driving while impaired, and checking for driver’s licenses. This checkpoint operation will be conducted utilizing funds from a grant provided to the Rancho Cordova Police Department by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).

Sacramento Man Who Trafficked Underaged Girls Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Deandre Lornell Brown, 27, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, as a result of his conviction at trial for charges of sex trafficking of children. Brown was also ordered to pay $5,200 in restitution.

Continued...

Elk Grove Council Member Sophia Scherman - It's all about Me!

During the Wednesday, February 23 meeting of the Elk Grove City Council, council member Sophia Scherman showed exactly what she's made of.

Toward the end of a presentation by David Simpson on the Disability Advisory Committee, several council members weighed in and offered thanks for the work of the committee. Sensing a feel-good moment to good to pass up, Scherman offered her praise too.

Unlike her colleagues though, she praised herself!

Watch her comments below.
 

Put another way, Scherman was really saying "It's all about Me!"

Like a swarm of Locust,Danielson returns to NorCal

Like a biblical swarm of locust, former Elk Grove City Manager John Danielson and his swarm of marauding locust have moved back to Northern California after a swarm on Southern California.

According to the San Mateo County publication The Almanac, Danielson and his swarm of locust from PMC and InterWest were hired by the City of Atherton. According to the story:

The Atherton City Council on Feb. 16 voted 4-0, with Kathy McKeithen absent, to authorize agreements with the firms to conduct the "organizational effectiveness and efficiency" studies, which were recommended by interim City Manager John Danielson.

The review of police services, the Communications Center, and related services by the firm PMC will cost a maximum of $25,000, according to Mr. Danielson. Interwest Consulting will review the building and public works departments and related services at a cost capped at $48,000, Mr. Danielson said in a staff report.

All that we can say to Atherton about this is GOOD LUCK!

Read the entire story here. (Read the comments.)