More than 85,000 Kaiser Permanent healthcare workers win landmark new contract
On heels of historic strike, on-the-ground engagement from Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su helped bring sides to agreement
Frontline healthcare workers secure deal for critical workforce investments that bolster patient care
The 4-year tentative agreement increases wages, expands job training, and improves performance sharing plan; now goes to employees for ratification
From Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions:
LOS ANGELES – More than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers reached a historic tentative agreement today for a new contract that will bolster patient safety and make critical investments in the healthcare workforce at hundreds of Kaiser facilities across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The deal was reached on the heels of Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su traveling back to her home state of California to engage in the most recent talks. Su arrived Thursday evening to successfully help the sides bridge the gap on key lingering issues.
“We’re incredibly grateful to acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su and the Biden administration for supporting workers’ right to collective bargaining. Acting Secretary Su was instrumental in advancing talks and helping to facilitate a successful conclusion to these negotiations,” said Sarah Levesque, Secretary-Treasurer of OPEIU Local 2.
“What the parties have achieved here in Oakland demonstrates, once again, that collective bargaining works. When workers have a voice and a seat at the table, it can result in historic gains for workers, their employer, and our country,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su. “The President and I congratulate the parties on reaching a mutually beneficial deal that delivers important stability for this critical workforce, for Kaiser Permanente, and for the patients in their collective care.”
The landmark deal follows months of tireless advocacy from thousands of frontline healthcare workers.
“This deal is life-changing for frontline healthcare workers like me, and life-saving for our patients,” said Yvonne Esquivel, a pediatric medical assistant at Kaiser Permanente in Gilroy, California. “Thousands of Kaiser healthcare workers fought hard for this new agreement, and now we will finally have the resources we need to do the job we love and keep our patients safe.”
Details of the tentative agreement include:
- Addressing the staffing crisis by raising wages by 21% over four years to better retain current healthcare workers
- Establishing a new healthcare worker minimum wage – $25/hr in California and $23/hr in other states where Kaiser Permanente operates
- Protective terms around subcontracting and outsourcing, which will keep experienced healthcare workers in jobs and provide strong continuity of care for patients
- A wide variety of initiatives to invest in the workforce and address the staffing crisis, including streamlining hiring practices, increased training and education funding, mass hiring events, and a commitment to upskill existing workers and invest in the training of future healthcare workers.
“Millions of Americans are safer today because tens of thousands of dedicated healthcare workers fought for and won the critical resources they need and that patients need,” said Caroline Lucas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. “This historic agreement will set a higher standard for the healthcare industry nationwide.”
In California, the tentative deal has set a new potential bar for negotiations already underway at Prime Healthcare and other area health systems. Nearly 2,000 Prime workers are concluding a five-day unfair labor practice strike today as their management threatens and intimidates workers, and refuses to bargain in good faith to fix unsafe working and patient care conditions caused by the short-staffing crisis.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents 85,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia. In April, the Coalition began its national bargaining process ahead of the September 30th contract expiration. The Coalition and Kaiser Permanente had last negotiated a contract in 2019, before healthcare workers found themselves on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic that has worsened working conditions and exacerbated a healthcare staffing crisis.
From Wednesday, October 4 to Saturday, October 7, 75,000 Kaiser healthcare workers held an unfair labor practice strike. The actions, led by workers across multiple states and in Washington, D.C., constituted the largest strike of healthcare workers in U.S. history. On October 9, Coalition unions issued a second 10-day notice for a strike that would have commenced on November 1 and included an additional 3,000 healthcare workers in Seattle.
Frontline healthcare workers in the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are expected to begin voting to ratify the agreement starting October 18.
Kaiser Also Announces Agreement
OAKLAND, Calif. – Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are pleased to jointly announce that in the early hours of October 13, 2023, we reached a tentative agreement for a renewed National Agreement, bringing the nearly seven months of contract negotiations to conclusion.
The Coalition and Kaiser Permanente wish to thank Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su for her instrumental involvement in bringing negotiations to a close.
The tentative agreement now goes to the more than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente employees who are represented by Coalition unions for ratification. The ratification process will begin October 18. Once ratified, the agreement will have an effective date of October 1, 2023.
The new 4-year agreement will offer Coalition-represented employees competitive wages, excellent benefits, generous retirement income plans, and valuable job training opportunities that support their economic well-being, advance our shared mission, and keep Kaiser Permanente a best place to work and receive care.
The tentative agreement:
- Establishes new minimum wages over three years for Coalition-represented employees, that will reach $25/hour in California and $23/hour in other states where Kaiser Permanente operates
- Provides guaranteed across-the-board wage increases totaling 21% over four years
- Enhances employees’ Performance Sharing Plan with minimum payout opportunities and a substantial maximum payout opportunity
- Increases investments in professional development and job training, and includes other initiatives to help address the staffing crisis in health care
Further details of the agreement will be made available later.
The Coalition unions have withdrawn their notices for a November strike.
About the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions unites more than 85,000 health care workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.7 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information visit about.kp.org.
Read MoreThe new eVTOL goes on sale in 2024
By Contra Costa County District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis
George Jetson would feel right at home if he visited Byron Airport.
That’s because in recent years, companies like Pivotal have been testing their innovative personal flying electric vehicle prototypes at Byron. (See video) Last week, Pivotal unveiled the Helix, a new eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle in development since 2011. The Helix will be priced at $190,000 when it goes on sale in 2024.
Testing innovative technologies at Byron was our goal when I worked with the Contra Costa County Airports Division to partner with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies to make our Contra Costa County airports official unmanned aerial system test sites. Byron Airport and Buchanan Field are in perfect locations to test drones because of the open testing areas and their proximity to the various aviation companies headquartered in the Bay Area (Pivotal is based in Palo Alto). Learn more about our Bay Area Test Site, a.k.a. “Drone Town USA” on the Contra Costa County Airports website or by watching the video.
Having groundbreaking testing facilities in Contra Costa County is just the first step. In the medium and long term, we’re working to have the vehicles of the future developed and even manufactured locally. In the meantime, I’m proud to have products tested in District III ready for sale to aviators everywhere.
Read MoreOn potential threats in response to Hamas’ call for “Day of Jihad”
SACRAMENTO – In response to Hama’s call for a global “Day of Jihad” on Friday, 13, 2023, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Director Nancy Ward, who serves as California’s Homeland Security Advisor, released the following statement yesterday on the efforts underway to protect the well-being of all Californians:
“As California’s Homeland Security Agency, we are actively monitoring the developing situation in Israel and Gaza and closely coordinating with our security partners to track potential impacts on the domestic threat environment.
“The situation remains dynamic and evolving. I continue to actively brief the Governor on the current situation and state intelligence and law enforcement officials are working around the clock to safeguard the safety and security of all Californians.
“We are in touch with faith leaders and communities across the state to provide support, listen to their concerns and offer the full resources of the state.
“While we are aware of statements made about potential threats on Friday, October 13, I want to emphasize that no specific and credible threat to California has been identified at this time.
“As with any potential threats to our state, Cal OES will coordinate with our partners at the local, state and federal level to ensure they have the resources and information necessary to keep our communities safe.
“All Californians have an important role to play in protecting our communities, and I encourage everyone in our state to be alert, vigilant and prepared and immediately report any suspicious activity through proper channels.”
About Cal OES
With over 38 million residents (12 percent of the US population), the State of California is the most populous state in the nation and has the third largest land area among the states (163,695 square miles). California is culturally, ethnically, economically, ecologically, and politically diverse, and maintains the eighth largest economy in the world with 13 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. California also faces numerous risks and threats to our people, property, economy, environment and is prone to earthquakes, floods, significant wildfires, prolonged drought impacts, public health emergencies, cybersecurity attacks, agricultural and animal disasters, as well threats to homeland security. Cal OES takes a proactive approach to addressing these risks, threats, and vulnerabilities that form the basis of our mission and has been tested through real events, as well as comprehensive exercises that help us maintain our state of readiness to plan for and mitigate impacts.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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By Contra Costa County District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis
The past three years have brought massive improvements to fire protection services in East County. As your District III County Supervisor and Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board Member, I want to share with you the progress made up to now and information about two new Brentwood fire stations set for construction in 2024.
Two major changes in recent years have increased our firefighting capacity: voters passed Measure X, a half-cent sales tax to improve public safety and other County services in 2020, and East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) was consolidated into Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (ConFire) on July 1, 2022.
With the increase in financial resources and the efficiency gains of joining a larger agency, we have opened one new Oakley fire station, added two new fire crews for faster responses, and upgraded our crews to provide paramedic-level care so they can carry out more complicated medical tasks than EMTs.
The next improvements coming are a new Brentwood station on Empire Road and the return of a fire station in its Downtown Brentwood location on First Street. Fire Station 54 downtown served Brentwood for 57 years before ECCFPD’s budget problems forced it to close in 2014. Thankfully, ConFire has the resources to build a new modern fire station that is capable of housing 21st century fire engines, which are larger than any engine the original fire house designers could have expected in the 1950s.
The requirement for larger garages, modern earthquake standards and other firefighting necessities means that the new Station 94 will need a larger footprint. The County, which owns the parcels on either side of the station, has pledged approximately 3,500 square feet of undeveloped land to Con Fire to make room for this lifesaving community resource. Most of that land would come from the south side of the station, but 1,212 square feet would come from land on the north side next to the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building.
Some in the Brentwood veterans community have expressed concerns about the new construction, but the fire station would be built on a part of the County-owned land currently used as an unpermitted gravel parking lot and temporary storage units. Neither of the two permanent structures that the Brentwood Veterans Memorial Building uses would be impacted; in fact, Contra Costa County has invested more than $100,000 improving those structures in recent years, and the County is pursuing nearly $200,000 in future funds to improve the building’s fire alarm systems, air conditioning, exterior siding and more.
In the coming months, ConFire will hire design-build teams for the new fire stations, and the projects will go through the City of Brentwood’s planning and permitting process, complete with CEQA compliance and public hearings. If designs are approved in a timely manner, construction of both new stations will break ground in 2024. When they open, Brentwood and the rest of East County will have the highest level of professional fire protection in our history, and our entire community will be safer for it.
Read MoreBy Pleasant Hill Police Department
We had another successful Theft Suppression event at the Pleasant Hill Shopping Center on Contra Costa Blvd., Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 10, 2023, which resulted in the recovery of over $2,500 of stolen merchandise. This shopping center houses stores like Target, Ross, and HomeGoods, as well as Burlington.
During this planned operation, the following 11 people were arrested for grand theft, petty theft:
Jordan Pitts 22, Opelika, AL
Abel Isais Garcia 23, Novato
Davonte Coimin Michel 25, Windsor
Derald Morris 65, Pittsburg
Andrew John Lopez 36, Martinez
George Davis 47, Pittsburg
Cayla Coleman 22, Richmond
Lavaughna F. Manuel 30, Antioch
Ahjanae Woods 23, Concord
Valerie Sage 65, Concord
Dennis Scarcella 33, San Francisco
We will continue to work hard through the upcoming Holiday Season to combat the ongoing issues with Organized Retail Crime and Retail Theft.
Thank you again to our community partners for assisting us in making this another successful event.
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Thousands of invitations to be mailed, special focus on SF and South Bay
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2023 . . . The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) this fall is teaming with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and other partners to conduct a major survey designed to learn more about how people travel throughout the Bay Area. Beginning today, some 750,000 households throughout the nine-county region will receive invitations to participate in what is known as the Bay Area Travel Study
The Bay Area Travel Study is designed to help MTC and other transportation agencies plan for a more efficient and more effective regional transportation network.
“Our goal is a Bay Area that is affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and economically vibrant for all of our residents and is also a great place for all our region’s visitors to enjoy,” observed MTC Chair and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza. “Knowing more about how, when and why people go from place to place will help the Commission develop the right policies and make the smartest investments to achieve that goal.”
MTC expects to mail these invitations in four separate waves between now and December. Those who receive an invitation letter can expect to receive a follow-up postcard about a week later. A unique code will be provided to each household that accepts the invitation to participate, and each household will be assigned a date on which to start logging its travel activity in a survey diary. Respondents will be able to complete the study online, by phone, or through the rMoveTM smartphone app developed by RSG, a Vermont-based research firm hired by MTC as a consultant for the study.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. More information about the Bay Area Travel Study may be found on the MTC website at https://bayareatravelstudy.mtc.ca.gov.
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DA Diana Becton one of 20 from Contra Costa County, 33 from Solano County honored
BENICIA, CA – Today, Thursday, October 12, 2023, at his 11th annual Women of the Year event, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) honored 53 women from the 8th Congressional District of California who are leaders and visionaries in their communities. These honorees have all made significant contributions to society through public service, business, education, and local economy.
“Every year I have the honor of recognizing the achievements and service of distinguished women in my district,” Garamendi said. “These leaders come from a variety of backgrounds, but every one of them has made a real difference to their communities and the people around them. It’s a privilege to be able to honor them.”
“The service and dedication each honoree has shown their community is deserving of recognition, and by receiving this award, their work will be commemorated and chronicled at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC,” Garamendi said.
You can view photos and biographies of this year’s honorees here.
A video of the event can be found here.
A legislative update that was shared at the event is available here.
The list of 2023 Women of the Year included 20 honorees from Contra Costa County and 33 from Solano County.
Contra Costa County:
Alissa Stolz (El Cerrito)
Anjali Rimi (Antioch)
Audrey Cormier (Richmond)
Betty Reid Soskin (Richmond)
West County Wastewater District Board President Cheryl Sudduth (Richmond)
City Councilwoman Claudia Jimenez (Richmond – District 6)
Municipal Advisory Committee Chair Debra Mason (Bay Point)
Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton (Martinez)
Eleanor Thompson (Richmond)
Janet Scoll Johnson (Richmond)
Contra Costa College President Kimberly Rogers (San Pablo)
Marinda Elaine Keith (Richmond)
Rose Akoro (Bay Point)
Ruthie Dineen (Richmond)
Sylvia Serrano (Hercules)
Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker (Antioch – District 1)
Velma Wilson (Antioch)
Katrinka Ruk (Richmond)
State Senator Nancy Skinner (Oakland – who represents portions of Western Contra Costa County in the 9th District)
Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (Oakland – who represents portions of Western Contra Costa County in the 14th District)
Solano County:
Adjoa McDonald (Vallejo)
Alice Wilson-Fried (Vacaville)
Amber Duncan (Fairfield)
Amy Fabi (Vacaville)
Barbara Brewer (Vacaville)
Brenda Plechaty (Vallejo)
Callie Aberin (Lathrop)
Cat Moy (Fairfield)
Courtney Tindall (Fairfield)
Donna Ebert (Fairfield)
Ebony Antoine (Fairfield)
Elizabeth Aptekar (Travis Air Force Base)
Elizabeth Hoffman (Vallejo)
Erin Garcia-Robles (Fairfield)
Jameelah Hanif (Vallejo)
June Mejias (Benicia)
Karen Freeman (Fairfield)
Kayleigh Migaleddi (Vacaville)
Kris Corey (Fairfield)
La Toya Thomas (Vallejo)
Lisa Tinbrink-Howard (Fairfield)
Margaret Kolk (Benicia)
Maryanne Perlmutter (Vacaville)
Melvinia King (Vallejo)
Monica Brown (Fairfield)
Nancy Nelson (Green Valley)
Pippin Dew (Benicia)
Princess Washington (Suisun City)
Rhonda Rochon Smith (Vallejo)
Tamuri Richardson (Fairfield)
Tara Beasley-Stansberry (Vallejo)
Tiffanee Jones (Vallejo)
Virgie Roy (Fairfield)
Garamendi serves California’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives which includes portions of Contra Costa and Solano counties.
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By Tim Haile, Executive Director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority
October marks Pedestrian Safety Month, an ideal time to shed light on pedestrians’ safety challenges while navigating our roads. With California’s diverse landscapes, vibrant cities, and outdoor lifestyle, the state naturally encourages walking and biking, while also facing some alarming statistics regarding pedestrian safety.
According to preliminary data from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, California’s pedestrian fatality rate is significantly higher than the national rate coming in at 1.29 per 1000,000. 504 pedestrians were killed in crashes involving vehicles in California in 2022, a nearly 10% increase over 2019.
As Executive Director of Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), I find these numbers to be unacceptable. During Pedestrian Safety Month, it’s crucial to recognize the importance of safeguarding our most vulnerable road users: pedestrians. Every day, hundreds of Contra Costa residents walk to work, school, and leisure activities, contributing to our county’s sustainability and quality of life. The first step to making the streets safer for all is through smart transportation systems and plans.
CCTA, in partnership with Contra Costa County, is actively addressing these concerns through the Vision Zero Safety Policy and Implementation Guide. Vision Zero is a comprehensive strategy aimed at eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while promoting safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all. Vision Zero has become a guiding principle in our efforts to enhance pedestrian safety. The key to Vision Zero’s success lies in its data-driven approach, which identifies high-risk areas and factors contributing to pedestrian collisions. By analyzing these insights, we can implement targeted interventions that prioritize the safety of our residents.
In our ongoing commitment to pedestrian safety, CCTA is also in the process of developing a Countywide Transportation Safety Action Plan. The plan will identify strategies to eliminate severe injuries and fatalities. It will consider how to improve safety for all people in the County, including people biking, driving, walking, and taking the train or bus, as well as freight transportation. This plan considers the insights and feedback received from our residents, ensuring that it reflects the real-world experiences and concerns of those who use our streets daily. Residents can use the CCTA’s map-based tool to show where safety is a concern for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists or people with disabilities.
Pedestrian safety also starts with you. Drivers play a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being of those on foot. Drivers can prevent death and injury by adhering to speed limits and slowing down at intersections, always being prepared to stop at marked and unmarked crosswalks, refraining from blocking crosswalks while waiting to turn, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. By following these guidelines, drivers can actively contribute to a safer environment for pedestrians and all road users, reducing the risk of collisions and promoting a culture of responsible and attentive driving.
When walking, it’s vital to prioritize safety by remaining alert and attentive, avoiding distractions. Whenever possible, make use of designated signalized crosswalks, as these are locations where drivers are more likely to anticipate pedestrian activity. Keep a vigilant eye out for approaching vehicles and always exercise caution when crossing streets.
As we celebrate Pedestrian Safety Month, let us not only acknowledge the importance of pedestrian safety but also recognize the role of efficient transportation planning and community input in achieving this critical goal. By prioritizing safety, investing in infrastructure, and fostering a culture of responsible transportation, we can ensure that pedestrians can move about our beautiful county with confidence, knowing that their safety is a top priority.
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Provided homes for parolees, probationers; used multiple aliases
Sought $34,655,437 in fraudulent PPP loans during COVID
Jury found former religious leader guilty on 44 felony counts
By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Attila Colar, aka Dahood Sharieff Bey, aka Sharieff Dahood Bey, aka Sharieff Pasha, aka David Lee, aka Georgi Petrakov, was sentenced to serve 204 months (17 years) in prison after being convicted of forty-four (44) felonies including conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements to a bank, destruction of property to prevent a search, possession of a firearm as a felon, making a false tax return, obstruction, and witness tampering. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge.
Colar, 51, of Richmond, Calif., was convicted of the crimes by a jury on June 23, 2023, after a three-week trial. Colar is the former Chief Executive Officer of All Hands on Deck, a Richmond, Calif., company that held itself out as providing a residential reentry home for probationers, parolees, homeless persons, and persons with mild mental illness. In finding him guilty of the sundry crimes, the jury concluded Colar carried out multiple schemes to defraud, including defrauding organizations that placed residents at his company’s transitional housing facilities and defrauding several lenders that were participating in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The jury also found that Colar attempted to destroy evidence, obstructed the FBI’s and grand jury’s investigations into his crimes, and tampered with a witness by attempting to concealing the witness while law enforcement was taking steps to execute a material witness order.
According to opengovus.com the organization was incorporated in Hercules and is listed as a “Minority-Owned”, and “Black American Owned” non-profit in 2015 but the registration has expired. The only officer listed is Jamlia Pasha as Manager.
According to transitionalhousing.org, “All Hands on Deck Ink is a clean and sober living environment that offers a structured living program for recovering individuals, Homeless Veterans, Parolees, and Individuals with Mental Health Conditions. The environment creates good habits and healthy outlooks that will lead their residents to positive results. Offer all of the residents access to a clean and stable environment, life skill courses, 12 step program, educational opportunities, business and economic training, and resource referrals. There is a sliding scale fee. Accept self pay, vouchers and other housing rent assistance programs. Residents will have access to internet, washer and dryer, cable, a healthy meal, programs, resources and more. As accepting new residents now, call their housing managers today for placement.” It has a location at a home in El Sobrante. That information was last updated on July 13, 2023.
“In the wake of a national crisis, the government established programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program, to ease the pain inflicted by a global pandemic,” said Ismail J. Ramsey, United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. “Colar took this opportunity to defraud the government, while also defrauding several other initiatives intended to help the homeless, newly released prisoners, and those with drug problems, to name just a few of his victims. This sentence should serve as a warning that this office will pursue with vigor those who seek to line their own pockets by defrauding government efforts to address our communities’ needs.”
“Colar is now facing the consequences for his attempt to steal from a taxpayer-funded program designed to offer crucial relief to those businesses affected during the pandemic,” said Robert K. Tripp, Special Agent in Charge, San Francisco Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation. “We are proud to have worked in close coordination with our federal partners to ensure justice prevailed in this case.”
“This sentencing sends a clear warning that you will be brought to justice if you defraud the federal government of pandemic relief funds,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold Mr. Colar accountable for his crimes.”
“Abusing SBA’s pandemic relief programs that are intended to provide critical relief to small businesses is unconscionable.” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “This sentencing further showcases that those who fraudulently take advantage of federal government programs will face justice for their selfish deeds. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“Mr. Colar attempted to defraud the U.S. government by filing multiple false tax documents to further his Paycheck Protection Program scheme. Along the way, he harmed the members of the community those funds are designed to aid and protect,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. “This sentencing reinforces that people who abuse the U.S. tax system and victimize taxpayers will be held accountable. IRS Criminal Investigation agents work closely with multiple agencies to help ensure those who choose to break the law are caught and punished. I would like to thank the United States’ Attorney’s Office’s and its federal partners for working together to achieve a just result.”
“When individuals corruptly obstruct the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code and file documents under false pretenses, they defraud and steal funds from taxpayer-funded programs intended to assist small businesses. TIGTA will always pursue these individuals and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” stated Special Agent in Charge Rod Ammari. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their joint efforts to hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”
Evidence at trial showed that starting in late 2018, Colar engaged in a scheme to defraud, among others, GEO Reentry, which provided treatment and supervision programs for adult probationers, parolees, and pretrial defendants in residential, in-custody, and non-residential reentry centers for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Specifically, in or about 2019, Colar fraudulently induced GEO Reentry to refer parolees to All Hands on Deck using falsified fire inspection clearance reports, a false letter of recommendation, false security clearance documents, and false and misleading information about its staff.
Additional evidence demonstrated that in April and June of 2020, Colar engaged in a second scheme to defraud lenders participating in the PPP lending plan authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to the CARES Act, the SBA managed the PPP lending plan. Trial evidence established Colar submitted multiple loan applications on behalf of All Hands on Deck to lenders that were false and misleading. For example, the applications substantially overstated the number and payroll of All Hands on Deck employees—while Colar’s loan applications stated All Hands on Deck had approximately 73 to 81 employees, the business had, in fact, perhaps other than himself, no salaried employees.
Colar was also convicted of offenses related to the submission of multiple fraudulent loan applications in the name of other companies. The evidence demonstrated Colar hastily revived two dormant companies, and then submitted loan applications from the PPP lending plan for the bogus businesses. To carry out this scheme to defraud, Colar used, without legal authority, the names and identities of two persons living in his residential reentry facility. Colar falsely represented that the residents were “CEO”s of companies with hundreds of employees with million-dollar payrolls.
In all, the evidence at trial showed that Colar submitted a total of 16 fraudulent loan applications to the PPP lending plan seeking approximately $34,655,437 in PPP loans.
Colar also was convicted of obstruction and witness tampering relating to the investigations into his crimes. Colar has been found guilty of destroying documents during a search of his home, lying to the FBI about a firearm, falsifying records produced to the grand jury, interfering with the representation by counsel of a material witness by impersonating the witness’s Power of Attorney, coaching a witness to falsely state that the witness was the CEO of one of Colar’s bogus companies that submitted fraudulent loan applications, and concealing a witness in multiple hotels and other locations in the Bay Area to forestall or prevent the witness from providing testimony in the federal grand jury.
In sum, Colar was convicted of forty-four (44) federal criminal offenses for his conduct. The convictions include the following: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; one count to commit conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; two counts of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344; sixteen counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343; eight counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A; two counts of false statement to a bank, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014; one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g); one count of destruction of property to prevent a search or seizure, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a); one count of obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2); two counts of falsification of records in a federal investigation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519; six counts of making a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206; one count of conspiracy to tamper with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k); one count of tampering with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(1); and one count of tampering with a witness, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(2).
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam also ordered Colar to serve 60 months (five years) of supervised release, to begin after his prison term. Restitution will be determined at a later date. Colar is currently in federal custody and will begin serving his prison term immediately.
According to an Oct. 3, 2020 ABC7 News report, “Colar was the leader of a Black Muslim temple in Oakland and a group that was a spinoff of Your Black Muslim Bakery, after the leader of the bakery was arrested and later convicted of ordering the murder of Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey.” He “was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to five years in state prison for submitting bogus documents to win security contracts with Alameda County, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara J. Valliere, Adam A. Reeves, and Ross D. Mazer are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Laurie Worthen and Legal Assistant Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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By Lt. Mark Louwerens, Brentwood Police Department
On October 11, 2023, at about 5:35 p.m. officers responded to a report of a subject in the area of Brentwood City Park armed with a kitchen knife. The caller reported that, at times, the subject appeared to be taunting other people with the knife.
As officers arrived on scene, they contacted the male, a 16-year-old juvenile. After numerous attempts to de-escalate the situation, an officer moved in to detain the juvenile. As he did, the juvenile stabbed the officer. A bystander assisted other officers in physically detaining the juvenile, who was subsequently taken into custody.
The officer sustained a non-life-threatening injury and was transported to a local hospital.
We have determined that there are no outstanding subjects and there is no threat to the general public.
The officer is stable and recovering and our Investigations Unit will be meeting with the District Attorney’s Office to determine what charges will be filed against the juvenile.
This case is currently under investigation. Anyone with information, please contact Detective Goold at 925-809-7872.
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