Contra Costa part of multi-county lawsuit
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office announces that PetSmart LLC entered into a Stipulated Judgement on June 23rd and will pay $1.46 million for overcharging customers, false advertising, and unfair competition.
District Attorney Diana Becton said that “The law in California is clear: businesses must be accurate in charging for goods and services. For customers, it’s important to monitor items scanned at a register and scrutinize your receipts to make sure you are not being overcharged.”
The outcome of the multi-county lawsuit against PetSmart includes court orders that prohibit the company from engaging in false or misleading advertising and charging an amount greater than the lowest price posted for an item. Moreover, PetSmart must implement additional audit and price accuracy procedures in its California stores for a three-year period to ensure compliance with pricing accuracy requirements, including notifying customers of their right to be charged the lowest currently advertised price for any item offered for sale.
PetSmart will pay $1,250,000 in civil penalties, $100,000 in restitution to support consumer protection enforcement efforts, and $110,000 for investigative costs incurred by various counties. Because of this legal action, PetSmart has implemented new policies and procedures to improve pricing accuracy with routine audits, detailed record keeping, and in-store signage to notify customers about the lowest advertised price for items.
The lawsuit was filed in Santa Cruz County. In addition to Contra Costa County, Plaintiffs include Sonoma County, Alameda County, Marin County, San Diego County, Ventura County, and Los Angeles County. Deputy District Attorney Bryan Tierney prosecuted the case for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office – with assistance by the Contra Costa Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures.
If members of the public believe they have been overcharged by businesses, contact our office at: DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org.
Read MoreCome out and join us for a day of school supply giveaways, community unity with music and dance. Resource operations will also share information.
Sunday, August 6, 2023 3 – 6 p.m.
Contra Costa Event Park (fairgrounds) at 1201 W. 10th Street in Antioch
To reserve your free school supplies, please contact B.C.C. Ministries at (925) 350-0188 or bcc1781 @gmail.com.
Read MoreBy Moorea Warren, Information Officer, California Department of Cannabis Control
Thanks to the continued dedication and collaboration of the Governor’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) 20 East Bay illegal indoor cannabis cultivators were shut down on June 20, and a total estimated value of over $15.3 million of illegal cannabis was seized.
An investigation spanning several weeks culminated in the operation led by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). There were 20 search warrants served by four units of officers and local and state partners, including the Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the California National Guard, and local law enforcement – five in Antioch, three in Brentwood, two in Discovery Bay and ten in Pittsburg, resulting in the seizures of:
- 742 pounds of cannabis flower estimated valued of $1,244,762
- 17,121 cannabis plants estimated valued of $14,124,825
- 7 firearms (including 1 assault rifle)
- $24,197 in cash
Several of the locations were red-tagged for safety and code violations.
Read MoreBy Allen D. Payton
According to CHP-Contra Costa, “This afternoon (6/21/23) at approximately 1:57pm, CHP Contra Costa responded to a three-vehicle crash on Vasco Road south of Camino Diablo.
Our preliminary investigation indicates a Dodge Ram, with two occupants, was traveling southbound on Vasco Road while a Toyota Tacoma, with one occupant, and a Chevrolet Express, with one occupant, was traveling northbound on Vasco Road. The Dodge and the Toyota collided head on, due to the Dodge crossing into the northbound lane. The Dodge began to overturn in the southbound lanes and the Chevrolet collided with the Dodge.
The driver of the Toyota was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the Dodge sustained major injuries, the passenger of the Dodge sustained minor injuries and the driver of the Chevrolet sustained minor injuries.”
According to Con Fire PIO Steve Hill, “we responded to reports of a head-on collision between a pickup and a van on Vasco Road just south of Byron this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. On scene, we found a head-on between two pickups and a third vehicle, a small service van, that had gotten involved in the mix-up between the first two vehicles.”
One victim was dead at the scene and there were three injured. Two victims needed extrication, which we accomplished. Two were seriously injured and transported by air ambulance to John Muir Walnut Creek, a third injured party was transported by ground to Kaiser Antioch.
Vasco Road was closed for a couple of hours by CHP as we used it not only to respond to the accident scene but also to land the two air ambulances for transport to hospital. We cleared around 4:00 p.m. after remaining on scene to help with the cleanup. I do not know when Vasco Road was reopened by CHP. I do not have any further information on the three injured parties.”
According to an ABC7 Bay Area News report, “Two people had to be extricated from the vehicles; one at 2:30 p.m. and the other at 2:47 p.m. The victims were transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, including a 31-year-old man and a 40-year-old.”
This crash is still under investigation, if anyone witnessed it or the events leading up to it, please contact CHP Contra Costa in Martinez, (925) 646-4980 or email 320Investigations@chp.ca.gov.
As of publication time it was not known if Vasco Road had been reopened.
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By Allen D. Payton
During the Antioch Juneteenth Celebration event a few years ago, I shared the fact with a few people, mainly youth, in attendance, that Juneteenth and the ending of slavery in the U.S. was the result of the efforts of the Republican Party, and some of them were shocked and even argued with me. I was surprised they hadn’t learned that in their history classes in school. So, here’s a little history about the day and celebration.
Deriving its name by combining June and nineteenth – Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. But while it became a national holiday in 2021 through a bill by a Democrat U.S. Senator and signed into law by Democrat President Joe Biden as the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, the day it celebrates occurred thanks to the Republican Party. Known as the Grand Old Party or GOP, the party was formed in 1854 to fight the expansion of slavery into the Western territories and ultimately abolish it. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican to be elected president and under his leadership fought and won the Civil War to end slavery in the United States.
It’s the main reason the first Black U.S. Senators and Members of Congress were Republican, virtually all Black Americans voted Republican until the 1936 and the GOP continued to receive a large percent of the Black vote well into the 1950s and 1960s. A few other facts you might find surprising is that it was Republicans who founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on February 12, 1909, the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and reparations were originally a Republican idea. It was Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman who issued Special Field Orders No. 15, giving 40 acres of land to freed slave families and later ordered the army to lend mules for the agrarian reform effort, as a means to provide for themselves and own an asset to pass on to future generations. It was reversed by Democrat Andrew Johnson, who became president following Lincoln’s assassination and issued a proclamation that returned the lands to southern owners.
Back to Juneteenth, it was on June 19, 1865 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, a Republican career U.S. Army officer, arrived at Galveston, Texas announcing that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
It was a little over two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox, Virginia, setting in motion the end of the war. A wave of Confederate surrenders followed. As a practical matter, the war ended with the May 26 surrender of the Department of the Trans-Mississippi, but the conclusion of the American Civil War lacks a clear and precise historical end date. Confederate ground forces continued surrendering past the May 26 surrender date until June 23.
It was two and a half years after President Lincoln signed his Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 freeing all slaves in Confederate states. Granger issued General Order No. 3 further informing Texas – the most remote state of the former Confederacy – of, and enforcing the proclamation, just two months after Lincoln’s assassination.
When issued, the Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the arrival of Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
Later attempts to explain this two-and-a-half-year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these versions could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln’s authority over the rebellious states was in question For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.
Juneteenth has been celebrated in Texas since 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country.
Happy Juneteenth, a holiday of freedom that we can all recognize and celebrate, while honoring those who fought and died to make it a reality!
Information also sourced from Juneteenth.com and the book From the Deck to the Sea: Blacks and the Republican Party.
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Starring Antioch youth
Presented by Aspire Youth Engagement Programs, Inc. Visual & Performing Arts Academy and City of Antioch
Come watch Annie, Jr., the exciting musical based on the popular Tony-winning musical Annie. Follow the journey of a young orphan, Annie as she determines to find her parents!
This exciting show, free to the public, features Antioch scholars from Kindergarten through 12th grade, mounting the stage in dance, song and theater performances.
With over 18 years of experience with providing impactful youth services programs throughout Northern California, Pittsburg-based Aspire Youth Engagement Programs, Inc. continue to excel as leaders in the industry, keeping our pulse to the ever-changing needs of today’s youth, while creating relevant and fresh programs that make a difference. Aspire Programs among others include:
- City of Antioch (January 2022-present)
- “Annie, Jr.” our upcoming production coming on Friday and Saturday, June 23rd and 24th at the Nick Rodriguez Community Theater at 213 F Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. This production, free to the public features scholars, Kinder-12th grade from the city of Antioch, mounting the stage in Dance, Song and Theater performances.
- Musical Production – “The Wiz Jr.” – City of Antioch (2022)
- Painting & Spoken Word (Middle School/High School scholars – City of Antioch – Summer 2022)
- Basketball Summer Camp (13- to 17-year-old boys) June 20th – July 15th, 2023 (38 scholars)
- After School Programs which includes Dance, Theatre and Voice/Choir (Pittsburg Unified School District ‘PUSD’ – 2018-present)
- Bay Point – Dance Classes (1st-8th Grade), Ambrose Community Center (March-June 2023)
- Visual & Performing Arts Academy
- Annual Holiday Musical Production “Joy – The Urban Nutcracker – (88 Scholars from Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley and Pittsburg). Performed at Pittsburg Creative Arts Building, Big Theater, December 10, 2022;
- STEM & STEAM Programs (PUSD, April 2020; April 2021; April,2022 (virtual)
- Girl’s Leadership Program (Social Etiquette, Fashion, Future Leaders)
OUR MISSION
Aspire Youth Engagement Programs are designed to help Kinder – 12th grade scholars discover and develop their true potential focusing on key areas of growth – academically, emotionally and through leadership development – to become their best within the community.
THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
The performing arts are intrinsically valuable for the beauty and fulfillment they bring, but researchers have observed that it also brings other benefits such as Empathy, Academic Performance, and Self Esteem. Performing onstage is frightening for newcomers, which is why students feel an immense confidence boost after they practice hard, work together, and successfully stage a play for friends, the community and family. The kids in our programs practice teamwork, gain confidence, learn leadership and build a skill set not only for a theater stage, but for the real world.
Read MoreHired in June 2019, Matthew Nutt was terminated this year; APD provides body cam footage
By Lt. Michael Mellone, Community Engagement, Antioch Police Department
As has been previously reported, former Antioch Police Officer Matthew Nutt was terminated from his employment as the result of an internal investigation into his use of force against an individual during a traffic stop on July 1, 2022. During the incident, Mr. Nutt learned the driver of a vehicle stopped for not displaying license plates had an outstanding felony warrant for shooting at an inhabited dwelling or occupied vehicle and conspiracy. Upon placing the individual under arrest, he refused to sit in the back of a police vehicle and displayed physical resistance. Mr. Nutt used force against the arrestee, consisting of a series of punches and kicks, along with knee and elbow strikes.
Mr. Nutt’s application of force triggered an automatic review of his body-worn camera footage. The reviewing supervisor had concerns about what was depicted in the video and believed Mr. Nutt may have violated Antioch Police policies governing use of force. The supervisor communicated his concerns through official channels, and an internal review was initiated. Mr. Nutt was placed into an assignment with no direct public contact.
After a thorough investigation, Mr. Nutt was sustained on four (4) use of force policy violations, including using unreasonable force, failure to de-escalate, and failure to use alternative tactics. Chief Steven Ford reviewed the findings of the investigation and terminated Mr. Nutt from his employment with the Antioch Police Department on April 21, 2023.
Members of the Antioch Police Department Professional Standards Unit initiated a criminal investigation into the matter and presented their findings to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. On June 13, 2023, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged Mr. Nutt with one misdemeanor count of assault by a public officer.
Chief Steven A. Ford released the following statement regarding this incident:
“Police officers are entrusted with the authority to use reasonable force to protect the public and themselves in the lawful performance of their duties. This requires close supervision and evaluation to maintain public legitimacy and preserve the sanctity of human life. The Antioch Police Department is committed to accountability and full transparency – my hope is our community will see the actions of our personnel to investigate and bring this matter to my attention as an expression of their commitment to accountability and the core tenets of their oath. This unfortunate incident is not reflective of the women and men who serve our community – please join me in continuing to offer our support of their hard work.”
Mr. Nutt was hired in June 2019 and employed with the Antioch Police Department for four years and had two years of prior experience with the Los Angeles Police Department. (See related article)
In the interest of transparency – and in accordance with State Law – we are releasing the following documents and evidence:
(WARNING – violence and profanity)
Internal Investigation Report – https://antioch.nextrequest.com/documents/21707013
Former Officer Nutt Body Cam Video #1
Former Officer Nutt Body Cam Video #2 (labeled #6)
Officer Dustin Dibble Body Cam Video (labeled #4) – This video shows Nutt punching and kicking the detainee.
Sergeant Josh Evans Body Cam Video (labeled #5)
Redactions have been made to these items in accordance with State Laws governing release of certain privileged and/or protected information.
The Antioch Police Department trains officers and has several policies on use of force, de-escalation, and alternative tactics, which can be reviewed on our transparency website: https://www.antiochca.gov/police/sb-978-policy-manual-training-materials
The Antioch Police Department recently joined a Trust Building Campaign https://www.theiacp.org/iacp-trust-building-campaign with 25-key policy enhancements we have pledged to implement within a 36-month period. We have also begun a process to seek accreditation of our Police Department and Dispatch Center, which includes regular audits of our policies and practices by an internationally recognized organization.
Read MoreDNA evidence linked suspect to killing
By Pittsburg Police Department
Nearly 16 years after the killing of a Pittsburg man, DNA evidence has led to the arrest of his killer. On June 7, 2023, Pittsburg Police Department detectives arrested 40-year-old Desante Lavelle Blake of Antioch for the 2007 murder of Larry Abercrombie.
On June 8th, 2007, Abercrombie was found suffering from gunshot wounds in front of his home in the 200 block of S. Catamaran Circle. Despite an extensive investigation at the time, no arrests were made, and the case remained unsolved for nearly two decades.
Recently, a Pittsburg Police Department Cold Case detective, who has been actively working this case, submitted evidence collected from the crime scene to the Contra Costa County Crime Lab for additional DNA testing, utilizing modernized technology. The crime lab was able to get a DNA match for the suspect and after a thorough investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for Blake’s arrest. Detectives also conducted a search warrant at Blake’s home in Antioch where additional evidence was located that further implicated him in the crime. Blake was booked into the Contra Costa County Jail for murder.
Additionally, the case was presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, which filed murder charges against Blake.
“Pittsburg PD is dedicated to solving unsolved cases and bringing justice to victims and their families,” said Chief Steve Albanese, “The arrest in this cold case homicide serves as a reminder that justice can be served no matter how much time has passed.”
If anyone has additional information related to this case, we ask you to please contact the Investigations Division at 925-252-4151
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Today’s commitment by CVS, Walgreens, Teva, and Allergan is an important milestone in California’s efforts to address epidemic
OAKLAND – June 9, 2023 — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced four multi-billion opioid settlements with pharmacies CVS and Walgreens and manufacturers Allergan and Teva are moving forward. The settlements are together worth up to $17.3 billion and address the companies’ role in the opioid crisis. The Walgreens and CVS deals are the first multistate settlements to hold chain retail pharmacies to answer for their role in the crisis. Today’s announcement is an important milestone in California’s efforts to address an epidemic that has destroyed communities and ripped apart families.
“We’ve made historic strides forward in our fight for justice and relief for Californians hurt by the opioid crisis,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Nothing can bring back the lives lost or erase the suffering caused by this crisis, but we are making sure those who caused it and profited from it are held to account for their greed and willful misconduct. These hard-fought and hard-won settlement funds will be critical in supporting victims and getting them the help they need to recover. I am proud of the work put in by my team and by our partners across the nation in making these wins possible.”
Opioid manufacturers Allergan and Teva have committed to move forward with settlements for up to $2.37 billion and $4.25 billion, respectively, to resolve allegations that, among other things, the companies deceptively marketed opioids by downplaying the risks of addiction and overstating their benefits. If the settlements are approved by the court, California may receive up to approximately $375 million from the Teva settlement and up to approximately $205 million from the Allergan settlement. The settlements with the opioid manufacturers also include strong injunctive relief that prohibits opioid-related marketing by Teva while Allergan is prohibited from selling opioids for the next 10 years.
Chain pharmacies CVS and Walgreens also committed to moving forward with national settlements worth up to $5 billion and $5.7 billion, respectively, to resolve claims that the companies ignored signs of prescription abuse and failed to prevent drug diversion. If approved by the court, California may receive up to approximately $470 million from the CVS settlement and up to $510 million from the Walgreens settlement. CVS and Walgreens have also agreed to injunctive relief that requires the pharmacies to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid prescriptions. A final agreement with Walmart, worth up to $3.1 billion, is not being announced today; however, that settlement is expected to move forward in the coming weeks.
Since the first wave of the opioid epidemic hit the United States in 2000, it has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, torn families apart, and eroded the social fabric of communities. Its toll has continued to grow year after year. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that in 2021, more than 80,000 people may have died of overdose deaths involving opioids in the U.S., and over 11,200 of those deaths took place in California.
The opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies who helped fuel the crisis through their unlawful practices and profited from it are at the center of Attorney General Bonta’s fight for justice and relief. To date, the California Department of Justice has secured approximately $50 billion in nationwide settlements and expected settlements, including with opioid manufacturers Johnson & Johnson, Mallinckrodt, and Purdue Pharma L.P. and the Sackler family; distributors Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen; and consulting firm McKinsey & Company.
- In March of 2022, Attorney General Bonta announced a $6 billion conditional settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family over their alleged deceptive and illegal marketing and sales practices, in an agreement that would also allow the family’s name to be removed from buildings, scholarships, and fellowships.
- In February 2022, a bankruptcy court confirmed a plan that would allow an agreement between certain states, including California, and Mallinckrodt, the largest generic opioid manufacturer in the United States, to move forward. That settlement includes an expected $1.6 billion payment by the company to a trust that would benefit public and private opioid-related claimants.
- In July 2021, Attorney General Bonta announced a $26 billion settlement, which was finalized in Spring 2022, with Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids, and Cardinal Health, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen, the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors. It was the second largest multistate agreement in U.S. history, and its terms bar Johnson & Johnson from being involved in selling or promoting opioids for a decade and require the distributors to monitor, report, and share data about suspicious activity related to opioid sales.
- In February of 2021, the Attorney General announced a $573 million settlement with one of the world’s largest consulting firms, McKinsey & Company. The settlement resolves California’s investigation into the company’s role in advising opioid companies (including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma) in the promotion and sale of their drugs.
These settlements are expected to bring in billions in funding for California communities, which will, among other things, be used to:
- Increase support for substance-use disorder facilities and improve infrastructure for treatment.
- Address the needs of communities of color and vulnerable populations, including those who are unhoused.
- Strengthen availability of Naloxone (also known as NARCAN) or other FDA-approved overdose reversal drugs.
- Double down on interventions for drug addiction in vulnerable youth and supporting those in the juvenile justice system with treatment options.
- Improve training and resources for law enforcement and first responders regarding appropriate practices and precautions when dealing with fentanyl or other drugs, including with regard to addressing the needs of criminal justice-involved persons with opioid-use disorder and mental health issues.
- Implement best practices for outreach, diversion, and deflection.
- Support job creation programs to help connect those recovering from substance use disorders with gainful employment and pathways to financial stability.
- Improve data-sharing and management systems to detect suspicious activity, including with regard to the prescription of controlled substances.
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