Many by groups of juveniles
By Pittsburg Police Department
Community Advisement:
We’d like to remind everyone to keep doors locked and windows secured, especially overnight.
Detectives are currently looking into a series of residential burglaries that have occurred in Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, and Brentwood. In many of these incidents, groups of juveniles have entered through unlocked doors, sliding glass doors, or unsecured windows – sometimes by removing window screens. They appear to be looking primarily for vehicle keys, which has unfortunately led to several stolen vehicles.
To help keep your home and property safe, please consider placing your vehicle keys in a secure, less visible area inside your residence rather than near entryways, kitchen counters, or tables.
Our police departments are actively investigating these cases working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. In the meantime, a few simple preventions steps can go a long way in helping protect our community.
Thank you for your cooperation, and please stay safe.
Read More
San Francisco Giants player Willie Mays in 1955 posing for the camera of an Associated Press photographer. Public domain. Source: Wikpedia
Daniel Damato faces 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine
By Michelle Lo, PIO, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Daniel Damato pleaded guilty in federal court Monday afternoon, Dec. 8, 2025, to wire fraud in connection with his sales of fraudulent sports memorabilia. Damato also admitted that he attempted to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into his criminal conduct.
Damato, 42, of Concord, California, was charged by information on October 20, 2025, with one count of wire fraud. The information alleged that between 2022 and 2024, Damato, a sports memorabilia dealer, doctored and gave false provenance to valuable items to make them appear as authentic sports collectibles, and then attempted to sell the items to unsuspecting buyers at inflated prices.
In pleading guilty, Damato admitted that in 2023, he sold for $100,000 a baseball bat that he falsely represented as having been used by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series. Despite his assertions to the contrary, the bat Damato sold for $100,000 had not been used in the 1954 World Series and was in fact a “factory error” bat that was an inch shorter than what Mays used during his career. After the victim buyer sent Damato $100,000 for the supposedly game-used bat, Damato did not send him anything.
Damato also sold other fraudulent items, including a jersey he falsely marketed as having been worn in a game by Mays that Damato sold for $50,000.
After the FBI executed a search warrant on his residence in October 2024, Damato contacted at least one potential witness in an attempt to obstruct the government’s investigation into his conduct.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez made the announcement.
Damato’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2026, before District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín. Damato faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Case No. 25-cr-0344-AMO
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
Read More
By Allen D. Payton
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, the Hercules Police Department announced they were actively investigating a suspicious death that occurred on Spinel Court, and while the investigation was ongoing, they reassured the public that there was no threat to community members at the time.
Officers and Detectives were on scene and conducted a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.
Later in the day, the Hercules PD posted, “We have successfully completed our investigation and are no longer asking community members to avoid the area. We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during this incident and would like to once again, assure community members there is no danger or threat from this incident.”
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything, or who has information that could assist investigators, is urged to contact Detective Sgt. Tafesse at 510-799-8271 or etafesse@herculesca.gov.
Read More
For Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
By City of Hercules
At the Nov. 12 City Council meeting, the Hercules Police Department accepted a $75,000 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). This funding will support traffic enforcement efforts that reduce impaired driving and other primary collision factors.
“This grant serves our commitment to keeping Hercules’ drivers and pedestrians safe,” said Police Chief Joseph Vasquez. “With this funding, we are able to further educate our community on safe driving practices and enforce regulations on speeding and impaired driving.”
According to the staff report for the agenda item, “The grant will allow the City to focus on a comprehensive approach to enforce, educate, and encourage compliance with seatbelt use, impaired driving, speed limit, and other traffic laws. Education and enforcement are two very important components of collision reduction. The acceptance of the grant will allow the Hercules Police Department to bolster its enforcement and education efforts in the aforementioned areas of concern.”
The STEP grant will enhance the City’s ongoing efforts to improve roadway safety by focusing on critical enforcement areas such as impaired driving, distracted driving, pedestrian safety and seatbelt and speed laws while also supporting community education initiatives that encourage safe driving behaviors. The funding will allow the Hercules Police Department to perform overtime operations for DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols and traffic enforcement operations linked to distracted and impaired driving.
Hercules has previously used STEP grant funding to purchase electronic citation writers, collision-investigation software and a speed trailer with a digital message board for special events, road closures and speed deterrence. This new funding will allow the Hercules Police Department to continue strengthening its enforcement and education efforts.
Read More
The Nunn-Paulsen inholding, featuring rugged slopes and lush woodland. Photo: Cooper Ogden
Bob Nunn donates “Nunn-Paulsen Inholding” in memory of his father, Ron
“when he could look and see Mount Diablo, he knew he was home”
New law to expedite land acquisitions for state parks
By Laura Kindsvater, Senior Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo
MOUNT DIABLO, CA— One of Mount Diablo’s last privately owned inholdings, rugged and biodiverse, is now permanently protected from development.
On December 2, 2025, Bob Nunn generously donated five gorgeous acres (known as the “Nunn-Paulsen inholding”), surrounded on four sides by Mount Diablo State Park, to Save Mount Diablo in memory of his late father, Ron Nunn, who passed away in August.
The project has taken just over three months from concept to close of escrow.
This incredible gift will bring us one step closer to making the mountain whole and protected for current and future generations.
Protecting inholdings like this is critical to maintaining the integrity of Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park.
These privately held parcels have the potential to disrupt and threaten conservation efforts in the surrounding park if the inholdings were to be developed or poorly taken care of.
Location of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding on the northern slopes of Mount Diablo. Map graphic: Save Mount Diablo
“On behalf of Save Mount Diablo, I thank Bob Nunn for his generous donation of the strategic Nunn-Paulsen property to our organization in honor of his father, Ron Nunn,” said Ted Clement, Save Mount Diablo’s Executive Director.
“This property is on the slopes of Mount Diablo, and is an inholding surrounded on all sides by Mount Diablo State Park. Privately owned inholdings within public parks are major land acquisition priorities for Save Mount Diablo, so we are deeply grateful that this year our wonderful supporters enabled us to complete two inholding acquisitions within Mount Diablo State Park, the ‘Balcerzak inholding’ and now the ‘Nunn-Paulsen inholding.’
“We look forward to working with our good partner California State Parks so that we can eventually transfer these inholdings to them with the assistance of a new law we helped champion to make such acquisitions by state parks easier.”
New Law to Expedite Land Acquisitions for State Parks
View of Mount Olympia and North Peak, at the base of which sits the Nunn-Paulsen inholding. Photo: Scott Hein. Map inset of Mt. Diablo State Park peaks and trails. Source: trailmeister.com
We were delighted when Senate Bill 630 (SB 630) was signed into law on October 13th of this year as a result of persistent efforts from us and a dedicated working group of conservation organizations that we helped start last year.
For nearly 20 years, Mount Diablo State Park was unable to add any new land because of the onerous requirement that California State Parks gain approval from other agencies for even minor acquisitions, along with other issues.
The new law will expedite qualifying land acquisitions for California State Parks by allowing the addition of lands, with acquisition costs of $1 million or less, to existing state parks without the need for multiple agency approvals.
With this streamlined process, we are hopeful that inholdings and adjacent lands will now be more easily added to Mount Diablo State Park.
Thankfully, this year, Save Mount Diablo completed the purchase of the 10-acre Balcerzak inholding within Mount Diablo State Park on September 2nd by paying off the $537,500 mortgage so that our organization now owns the property free and clear.
Acquiring and protecting inholdings like the Nunn-Paulsen and Balcerzak inholdings are major accomplishments in our ongoing mission to save Mount Diablo and its sustaining wild lands.
The Nunn Family and Save Mount Diablo
Ron Nunn. Photo courtesy of Bob Nunn
For many years, Save Mount Diablo has deeply appreciated the partnership and support of the Nunn family. The Nunns have deep agricultural roots in Brentwood going back to the 1880s.
Fifth- and sixth-generation Brentwood farmers, they’ve also been involved in development of some of their lands into communities like the retirement community Summerset, and oil and gas, while reinvesting in other agricultural areas.
Responsible land management has always been a key practice of Three Nunns Farm, which is still a thriving family enterprise today.
With Blackhawk Development Company, the Nunns have been involved in many development-conservation projects, like Trilogy at the Vineyards on the remnant of the Cowell Ranch, where 90 percent of the land became a new state park and 10 percent was developed.
The Nunn family has been a major factor in Brentwood’s success.
Bob Nunn has also been a longtime friend and supporter of Save Mount Diablo. On August 20th, he offered to donate the Nunn-Paulsen inholding to Save Mount Diablo.
In the early 1990s, Bob was looking for a place to live, and his dad, Ron Nunn, knew a landowner, Dr. Warren Wise, who owned a property near the corner of Marsh Creek Road and Morgan Territory Road, where Save Mount Diablo made its first acquisition in 1976.
Ron Nunn and Dr. Wise both attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton. On the slopes off North Peak, the Wise property had been on our acquisition lists from the first list in 1972.
Bob called us and said, “There’s this property, it’s 83 acres with an old house I’m going to upgrade, how about I keep five acres and sell you the rest.”
Save Mount Diablo was able to acquire and add the property we named “Three Springs” to Mount Diablo State Park in 1992 thanks to the deal with Bob Nunn. He later served as a member of Save Mount Diablo’s Board of Directors for a time.
His recent thoughtful donation of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding is yet another way the Nunns have helped protect the mountain.
“This donation is being made in memory of my father Ron Nunn, who passed at 92 years of age on August 8, 2025. Although my father had many stories to tell, one that always stuck with me and that I also share is when he could look and see Mount Diablo, he knew he was home,” Bob explained, showing how the mountain means a lot to those of us who live in the Mount Diablo area and connects us.
Generosity and gratitude are the fabric of the land conservation community. During challenging times, donations like this are more important than ever. They help protect our natural foundation and quality of life, while also inspiring us.
As a pillar of the early Brentwood community, Ron Nunn was also a longtime supporter of the East Contra Costa Historical Society, working together to preserve Brentwood’s agricultural roots.
The Nunns placed agricultural conservation easements on some properties to permanently protect the farmlands from future development.
In 2015, the Nunns made a landmark deal with the East Bay Regional Park District to sell 646 acres of Nunn family farmland near Knightsen.
This transaction, in partnership with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, allowed the East Bay Regional Park District to restore crucial Delta tidal and freshwater wetlands in the area.
A Biodiversity Gem
Lush vegetation covers the steep slopes of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding. Photo: Scott Hein
The Nunn-Paulsen property is a compact and biologically diverse gem. This Marsh Creek watershed location includes two ephemeral streams, harboring a huge variety of plant life on its steep, rocky slopes.
The property contains blue oak and live oak woodland and oak savanna habitat. California red-legged frog and Alameda whipsnake are special status species that are likely to be present on the property. They’re confirmed on the neighboring Three Springs property.
The serpentine rock on the Nunn-Paulsen land provides excellent growing conditions for rare plant species.
A hike there is both adventurous and intimate. In winter especially, the dramatic shape of the land means that storms and seasonal rain bring small waterfalls.
In addition to its important location on the slopes of Mount Diablo, the Nunn-Paulsen inholding is also strategically located in a wildlife corridor between Mount Diablo State Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.
An Ambitious Conservation Vision and Growing Success, Piece by Piece
The Corner Piece, purchased by Save Mount Diablo in 1976. At the time, it was four miles from the boundary of Mount Diablo State Park. Today it is part of and connected to the rest of Mount Diablo State Park. Photo: Scott Hein
Save Mount Diablo has acquired and protected many important properties in the area near the recently acquired Nunn-Paulsen inholding.
In 1976, Save Mount Diablo’s very first acquisition was in this same area: The Corner Piece. The Corner Piece is 117 acres of blue oak woodland at the corner of Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek roads.
Soon after Save Mount Diablo acquired The Corner Piece, Mount Diablo State Park protected North Peak, allowing the creation of the Olympia Trail to Mount Olympia.
In 1992, Save Mount Diablo acquired and transferred the Three Springs property to California State Parks for inclusion in Mount Diablo State Park.
The Three Springs property. Save Mount Diablo was able to acquire and add the Three Springs property to Mount Diablo State Park in 1992 thanks to a deal with Bob Nunn. Photo: Scott Hein
In 1994, Save Mount Diablo’s community-funded purchase of the 333-acre Chaparral Spring parcel turned it into a thriving, protected oasis home to wildlife like the golden eagle and endemics like the Mount Diablo globe lily—and a critical step in creating a Mount Diablo State Park wildlife and recreational corridor.
Later we transferred the property to East Bay Regional Park District. Save Mount Diablo, the park district, and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy have since protected several thousand acres to connect the two parks.
Save Mount Diablo protected the botanical diversity of Young Canyon by preserving this property in 2006 in what we call the “Missing Mile” on the slopes of North Peak.
It nurtures well over a hundred species of flowers, including five California endemics, because it’s crossed by the only band of serpentine on Mount Diablo.
The landscape of Young Canyon includes a 1,420-foot knoll, a mossy, fern-filled stream canyon, and a rocky meadow of wildflowers where you’ll often see hawks and turkey vultures riding the constant breeze.
The next year, Irish Canyon was Save Mount Diablo’s breakthrough purchase, stopping development speculation and expanding the Mount Diablo–Black Diamond wildlife corridor.
This land is a vital 320-acre watershed property with over 297 species and a permanent pond.
In 2022, Save Mount Diablo successfully acquired a very important conservation easement from the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association.
Save Mount Diablo’s conservation easement permanently protected from development 154 acres that are a prominent part of the Mount Diablo high peaks ecosystem, and another step in filling in the North Peak “Missing Mile.”
Krane Pond is one of Mount Diablo’s largest water sources, drawing all sorts of creatures, like bobcats, red-legged frogs, and migrating birds—so Krane Pond’s acquisition and protection by Save Mount Diablo in 2023 was vital to local habitat conservation.
It was another step in filling in the “Missing Mile.”
The Nunn-Paulsen property had been one of the few remaining privately owned inholdings not yet protected on Mount Diablo, and that changed on December 2nd with Save Mount Diablo’s successful acquisition of the land, thanks to Bob Nunn.
Holiday Gift, Gratitude, and What’s Next?
The Nunn-Paulsen inholding and the surrounding Mount Diablo State Park. Photo: Cooper Ogden
Bob Nunn’s generous donation of the strategic Nunn-Paulsen inholding on the slopes of Mount Diablo to Save Mount Diablo is a wonderful holiday gift for the mountain and our communities, including the people, flora, and fauna of the area.
Our stewardship team is excited to begin caring for the property.
At Save Mount Diablo, we are grateful for our supporters and the progress they have helped our organization make this year in successfully advancing our land conservation mission, including helping advance acquisition priorities for California State Parks.
The new law we helped champion (SB 630) that will streamline the acquisition process for California State Parks, and our completing the Balcerzak and Nunn-Paulsen inholding acquisitions, are major accomplishments.
SB 630 covers many properties our organization has been working to convey to California State Parks for addition to Mount Diablo State Park (the 101-acre CEMEX parcel, parts of Curry Canyon Ranch, the Balcerzak inholding, the Nunn-Paulsen inholding, the Viera North Peak property, etc.).
We look forward to working with California State Parks in the new year to start utilizing the new law to add these lands to Mount Diablo State Park.
Map showing the location of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding in Mount Diablo State Park. Map: Save Mount Diablo
For more information about Save Mount Diablo visit savemountdiablo.org.
Read More
Traveling 120-150 MPH; held on $1.2 million bail; claimed life of Castro Valley woman
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Pleasanton man with murder in a DUI-related crash in San Ramon.
27-year-old Badal Devendra Dholaria was arraigned today, December 4th at 1:30 pm in Martinez on a five-count felony complaint. In addition to the murder charge [PC 187(a)] that led to the death of a 41-year-old Castro Valley woman, Dholaria is being charged with two counts of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury, and two counts of driving with a .08% blood alcohol content causing injury [VC23153(a) and VC23153(b)]. The DUI-related offenses each come with enhancements alleging great bodily injury both to the woman and a 40-year-old man – also from Castro Valley. (See related article)
On December 3, 2025, the San Ramon Police Department presented its findings to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Following their review, Dholaria was charged with one count of second-degree murder, and four counts of felony DUI. His bail has been set at $1.2 million, and he remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility.
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “I want to be clear: every DUI-related incident represents a choice — a choice that can kill. If you’re impaired, don’t drive. Every time you get behind the wheel under the influence, you’re gambling with lives. Whether it’s alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications, or illegal drugs, any substance that impairs your ability to operate a vehicle safely makes you a danger on our roads.”
Case No 01-25-04261| The People of the State of California v. Badal Devendra Dholaria
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-feet, three-inch tall Dholaria’s is being held in the West County Detention Facility and his bail was increased from $300,000 to now $1.2 million.
According to localcrimenews.com, he was also arrested by Concord Police on Nov 16, 2025, for resisting, obstructing or delaying and evading a peace officer.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read More
Gift Wrapping Event at Barnes & Noble Thursday, Dec. 4; plus, Warm Coat and CANTREE Food Drives and more
By Jody Drewery, President, Women’s Council of REALTORS®
Real Estate is not just about buying and selling homes — it’s about showing up for our community. I’m proud to be a part of the Delta Women’s Council of REALTORS® and the Delta Association of REALTORS® Community Foundation, where giving back is at the heart of what we do.
This season, we have several opportunities to make a difference — and you don’t have to be a REALTOR® to help.
First, join us this Thursday! The Delta Women’s Council of REALTORS® will be at Barnes & Noble in the Streets of Brentwood (2475 Sand Creek Road, Suite 100) for a community Gift Wrapping Event and hosting Adopt-a-Senior.
You can also:
- Donate to the Warm Coat Drive (see above)
- Donate a Gift Card
- Donate canned goods to the CANTREE Food Drive (see below)
Every contribution, big or small, helps someone in need — and with the year many families have had, from economic challenges to government impacts, there has never been a more meaningful time to come together.
If you’d like additional information or want to get involved, please call (925) 818-1977 or visit www.facebook.com/WCRDelta. Let’s collaborate and spread some love throughout our community!
Read More
Gun, drugs and Ziploc baggies shaped and printed like $20 bills confiscated during arrest. Photo: Brentwood PD
Georgia Lee Malone held on $220,000 bail; third arrest this year
By Brentwood Police Department
Early Tuesday morning, Dec. 2, 2025, a Brentwood Police Officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Lone Tree Way and Shady Willow Lane for a vehicle code violation. During the contact, the driver, identified as 49-year-old Georgia Lee Malone (born 7/23/1976) was found to be a convicted felon in possession of a loaded firearm, drugs, a scale, multiple Ziploc baggies shaped and printed like dollar bills, and a fake ID.
Malone was arrested and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.
We remain committed to keeping our community safe, and proactive enforcement like this helps prevent dangerous situations before they occur.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, three-inch tall, 220-pound Malone is now being held in the West County Detention Facility on $220,000 bail.
According to localcrimenews.com, Malone is Black and from Pittsburg and was previously arrested four times, including twice more this year, by Contra Costa CHP, Pleasant Hill Antioch Police Departments for petty theft: retail merchandise, receiving known stolen property over $200, possession of narcotic controlled substance, DUI alcohol/drugs, DUI with blood alcohol content level great than .08, and failure to appear on misdemeanor charge.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this article.
Read More
25 organizations benefit on Giving Tuesday
By Victor Benedict Tiglao, Communications Associate, Office of Supervisor Ken Carlson
PLEASANT HILL, CA (December 2, 2025) – Contra Costa County Supervisor Ken Carlson announced 25 local organizations selected to receive the District IV Community Impact Fund, following a review of more than 100 applications totaling $6.5 million in requests. Carlson noted his office spent over 160 hours evaluating proposals to ensure funds reached organizations making the greatest impact.
“I am proud to announce the 25 organizations selected to receive the District IV Community Impact Fund grants,” said Carlson. “These grants reflect the strength and resilience of our community. By investing in local nonprofits, we are ensuring that families, students, and residents across District IV have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”
The Mt. Diablo Education Foundation highlighted how the grant will benefit students:
“This program has pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me find my voice. Having access to this program has opened doors I never knew existed and brought me places I never thought I’d go.” – Gabrielle, 12th Grade student at Ygnacio Valley High School
The Cancer Support Community (CSC) also shared how funding will expand services:
“I never thought I’d be diagnosed with cancer, but after treatments and surgeries my life was turned upside down. Finding the Cancer Support Community gave me strength, and for seven years I’ve relied on their programs. This grant will make in‑person support even more accessible for people like me.”– Daryl, CSC participant and Pleasant Hill resident
Other awardees include: 18 Reasons, Assistance League of Diablo Valley, Care Parent Network, Child Advocates of Contra Costa County, Choice in Aging, Clayton Pride, CoCo Kids, Community Violence Solutions, Contra Costa County Historical Society, Contra Costa Humane Society, Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, Empowered Aging, First Tee – Contra Costa, GANAS Community Organization, Hope Solutions, Joybound and Trinity Center, Meals on Wheels Contra Costa, Mental Health Connections, Monument First 5, The Network of Care, St. Vincent de Paul – St. Agnes, United Latino Voices of Contra Costa County, and Winter Nights Family Shelter.
“This Giving Tuesday, I encourage our residents to stand with these 25 organizations. Each one is doing extraordinary work. Your support amplifies the Community Impact Fund and helps these programs grow stronger, reaching more neighbors across Contra Costa County.”
First elected in 2022, Supervisor Carlson represents District IV on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, which includes the cities of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, and parts of Walnut Creek.
Read More
Former Antioch Police Officer Devon Wenger rookie photo (center), Instagram photo (left) and character portraying him in a video on Instagram (right).
Devon Wenger claims he was framed, retaliated against as a whistleblower, suing police department; posts animated video on Instagram to offer his side of the story
By Michele Lo, PIO, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Former Antioch police officer Devon Christopher Wenger was sentenced today to seven-and-a-half years in federal prison for conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate residents of Antioch through the use of unreasonable force, conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids, and obstructing justice. Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White handed down the sentence.
Wenger, 33, formerly of Oakley, California, was indicted in two separate cases. In April 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Wenger on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids and one count of obstruction of justice. In September 2025, following a seven-day trial, a jury convicted Wenger of conspiracy against rights. Wenger was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals in September 2025 and has remained in federal custody since then.
“Devon Wenger and his co-conspirators believed the badges they wore gave them a license to break the law. They were wrong. Today, the court held Mr. Wenger accountable for his betrayal of the public trust placed in him,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“Devon Wenger’s sentencing marks another significant step in a multi-year effort to uncover and confront corruption within the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. His conviction, along with the earlier convictions in this case, underscores that no one is above the law. The FBI and our partners are committed to holding those who violate the civil rights of others and betray the public’s trust accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at the September 2025 trial, Wenger and two other Antioch Police Department officers, Morteza Amiri and Eric Rombough, conspired with each other and others about using excessive force against individuals in and around Antioch. The uses and intended uses of excessive force included deployment of a police K9, deployment of a 40mm “less lethal” launcher, and other unnecessary violence. The evidence showed that Wenger and others deployed uses of force as punishment to subjects beyond any punishment appropriately imposed by the criminal justice system. Wenger also withheld details about uses of excessive force from police reports and other official documents.
Wenger, Amiri, and or Rombough engaged in numerous communications in furtherance of the conspiracy, including an April 2019 communication in which Wenger sent a photo and booking information for a suspect to Amiri and Rombough and requested that they “[p]lease find this guy[] and f— him in the a–.” Rombough responded “Deal,” and Amiri responded “ill bite em.”
Later in 2019, Wenger broke the arm of a young female shoplifting suspect, then pushed her sister to the ground, handcuffed the sister, picked the sister up and grabbed her neck, and smashed the sister’s face into the side of the patrol car, as captured on video. However, Wenger wrote in his police report that as he was escorting the sister to a patrol car, she attempted to pull away from him and that as a result of her actions she “subsequently fell onto the side of the patrol vehicle.”
In August 2020, after Amiri deployed his K9 to apprehend a suspect in Pittsburg, California, with Wenger, he wrote to Wenger “if pitt didn’t have all those body cams and that was us… we would have f—ed him up more. he didn’t get what he deserved.” Wenger responded, “I agree. That’s why I don’t like body cams.” The next night, Wenger wrote to Amiri, “We need to get into something tonight bro!! Lets go 3 nights in a row dog bite!!!” Amiri and Wenger exchanged additional messages and bloodied photographs after engaging with another suspect that night, and following Amiri’s deployment of his K9 to bite a suspect in a homeless encampment the subsequent evening. At the end of the week, Amiri wrote to Wenger, “let’s f— some people up next work week,” to which Wenger agreed.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the April 2025 trial, in February 2022, Wenger set up the sale of anabolic steroids, a Schedule III controlled substance, between Daniel Harris, who was at the time also an Antioch Police Department officer, and a third individual. Law enforcement officials seized the package of anabolic steroids destined for Harris before they arrived, although Wenger continued to communicate with Harris about supplying the third individual with anabolic steroids, including offering to give this individual some of Wenger’s own while they waited for the delayed package.
On March 23, 2022, at 8:03 a.m., the FBI began calling and sending text messages to Wenger telling him that they were outside of his residence with a warrant. It was not until 9:00 a.m. that Wenger appeared for the FBI to seize Wenger’s cellular phone. Later forensic examination of that device showed that specific entries related to the anabolic steroid distribution conspiracy had been deleted.
In addition to the prison term, Judge White also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. A hearing to determine the amounts of restitution owed to victims is scheduled for January 27, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security & Special Prosecutions Section and the Oakland Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Office of the Contra Costa County District Attorney.
Wenger Claims He Was Framed, Retaliated Against as a Whistleblower
As previously reported by the Herald, following his conviction in April this year, the former Antioch officer shared, “I never have had anything to do with steroids. Never took them, never possessed them, and sure as heck never conspired to distribute them. I took PEPTIDES, gonadorelin to be specific. It’s legal and NOT a steroid. I took the peptides to recover from COVID, COVID almost killed me and had me in a hospital bed and left my body in shambles. I still feel the effects of it to this day and will never fully recover. The FBI even seized gonadorelin and numerous other peptides failed to disclose that.”
Further, he claimed earlier this year he’s a whistleblower being framed.
“I am innocent. I am a whistleblower facing a whistleblower retaliation prosecution to silence me. I am being framed on fabricated and tampered evidence. Yes, the FBI and the US Attorneys on this case have fabricated and tampered with evidence, in addition to misrepresenting evidence and even lying to the court, and the public. They have…gone so far as to manipulate and suppress the documents that prove this (including exculpatory evidence) in the metadata data of their own discovery documents in order to push their false narrative. The truth will surface. That’s all I can say.”
“In addition to this we have filed a civil lawsuit against APD which outlines everything they put me through which led to these bogus charges against me,” Wenger added.
(See related articles here and here)
Two-Part Report Series Supports Wenger’s Claims
In addition, a two-part series, by The Current Report, provides additional details from Wenger’s perspective which claims he “exposed misconduct inside his department in 2021.” The articles include several court and legal documents to support the former officer’s claims. See Part 1 entitled, “The Digital Frame-Up: How the FBI and Contra Costa DA Turned a Police Whistleblower into a Federal Target” and Part 2 entitled, “The Retaliation of Officer Devon Wenger: Inside Antioch PD’s Cross-Agency Cover-Up – The ‘Good Ole Boy Club’ Part 2.”
Instagram Video Posts, Tags Federal Officials
Wenger posted videos on Instagram, including an animated video using an account entitled, “Thepolicewhistleblower” on August 7, 2025, explaining his claims against the Antioch PD, Contra Costa DA’s Office and the FBI. The account description reads, “I am a police whistleblower facing a retaliatory prosecution for upholding my oath and standing up against both federal and local LEO corruption in CA.”
In the post Wenger wrote, “This is the unfortunate reality of what happens to police officers who break the ‘blue wall of silence’ and blow the whistle on corruption. I upheld my oath and did what was right, and now I am being retaliated against, silenced, and framed by the same system I once defended with my life. I WILL NOT STOP until the TRUTH is exposed. Rest assured, the truth always comes to light, and I will NEVER compromise my integrity nor my oath, not even in the face of impossible odds. I WILL NEVER QUIT.”
Three weeks later he tagged several federal officials including President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley and posted the following:
“So, are you guys going to look into this or are you going to allow your low level FBI agents work with local police to fabricate evidence against a police whistleblower? I don’t know how many times I have reached out to each of you with no answer nor even an acknowledgment. This is a horrific constitutional violation and as severe deprivation of rights against a police whistleblower. I upheld my oath and stood up to corruption, it has cost me everything and now I’m deprived of my whistleblower protections rights and my very constitutional rights this country was founded on. Get it together and stop covering for criminals hiding behind badges in your organization.”
On a different Instagram account, which can no longer be located, Wenger posted a video of himself and linked to the two articles by The Current Report.
Charges Part of Broader Investigation of Antioch, Pittsburg Police
The charges against Wenger were brought as part of an investigation into the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments that resulted in multiple federal charges against 10 current and former officers and employees of these two police departments for various crimes ranging from the use of excessive force to fraud. The status of these cases, all of which are before Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White, is below:
| Case Name and Number | Statute(s) | Defendant
(Bold: multiple case numbers) |
Status |
| Fraud
23-cr-00264 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; 1343 (Wire Fraud) | Patrick Berhan | Sentenced to 30 months custody, 2 years supervised release concurrent with 24-cr-157 on 9/5/24 |
| Morteza Amiri | Sentenced to 84 months custody, 3 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-269 on 6/24/25 | ||
| Amanda Theodosy a/k/a Nash | Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release 11/15/24 | ||
| Samantha Peterson | Sentenced to time served, 3 years supervised release 4/24/24 | ||
| Ernesto Mejia-Orozco | Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 9/19/24 | ||
| Brauli Jalapa Rodriguez | Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 10/25/24 | ||
| Obstruction
23-cr-00267 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations); 1512(c)(2) (Obstruction of Official Proceedings); 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) | Timothy Manly Williams | Pleaded guilty 11/28/23, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 |
| Steroid Distribution
23-cr-00268 |
21 U.S.C. §§ 846 (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids), 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids) | Daniel Harris | Pleaded guilty 9/17/24, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 |
| 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids);
18 U.S.C. § 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) |
Devon Wenger | Sentenced to 90 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 12/2/2025 | |
| Civil Rights
23-cr-00269 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law); § 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) | Morteza Amiri | Sentenced to 84 months custody, 3 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-264 on 6/24/25 |
| 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) | Eric Rombough | Pleaded guilty 1/14/25, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 | |
| 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) | Devon Wenger | Sentenced to 90 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 12/2/2025 | |
| Steroid Distribution
24-cr-00157 |
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids) | Patrick Berhan | Sentenced to 30 months custody, 2 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-264 on 9/5/24 |
| Bank fraud
24-cr-00502 |
18 U.S.C. § 1344(1), (2) (Bank fraud) | Daniel Harris | Pleaded guilty 9/17/24, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 |
Further Information: Case Nos. 23-cr-0268 JSW; 23-cr-0269 JSW
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read More
Many by groups of juveniles
By Pittsburg Police Department
Community Advisement:
We’d like to remind everyone to keep doors locked and windows secured, especially overnight.
Detectives are currently looking into a series of residential burglaries that have occurred in Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, and Brentwood. In many of these incidents, groups of juveniles have entered through unlocked doors, sliding glass doors, or unsecured windows – sometimes by removing window screens. They appear to be looking primarily for vehicle keys, which has unfortunately led to several stolen vehicles.
To help keep your home and property safe, please consider placing your vehicle keys in a secure, less visible area inside your residence rather than near entryways, kitchen counters, or tables.
Our police departments are actively investigating these cases working with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. In the meantime, a few simple preventions steps can go a long way in helping protect our community.
Thank you for your cooperation, and please stay safe.
Read MoreSan Francisco Giants player Willie Mays in 1955 posing for the camera of an Associated Press photographer. Public domain. Source: Wikpedia
Daniel Damato faces 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine
By Michelle Lo, PIO, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Daniel Damato pleaded guilty in federal court Monday afternoon, Dec. 8, 2025, to wire fraud in connection with his sales of fraudulent sports memorabilia. Damato also admitted that he attempted to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into his criminal conduct.
Damato, 42, of Concord, California, was charged by information on October 20, 2025, with one count of wire fraud. The information alleged that between 2022 and 2024, Damato, a sports memorabilia dealer, doctored and gave false provenance to valuable items to make them appear as authentic sports collectibles, and then attempted to sell the items to unsuspecting buyers at inflated prices.
In pleading guilty, Damato admitted that in 2023, he sold for $100,000 a baseball bat that he falsely represented as having been used by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series. Despite his assertions to the contrary, the bat Damato sold for $100,000 had not been used in the 1954 World Series and was in fact a “factory error” bat that was an inch shorter than what Mays used during his career. After the victim buyer sent Damato $100,000 for the supposedly game-used bat, Damato did not send him anything.
Damato also sold other fraudulent items, including a jersey he falsely marketed as having been worn in a game by Mays that Damato sold for $50,000.
After the FBI executed a search warrant on his residence in October 2024, Damato contacted at least one potential witness in an attempt to obstruct the government’s investigation into his conduct.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez made the announcement.
Damato’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2026, before District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín. Damato faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Case No. 25-cr-0344-AMO
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
Read More
By Allen D. Payton
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, the Hercules Police Department announced they were actively investigating a suspicious death that occurred on Spinel Court, and while the investigation was ongoing, they reassured the public that there was no threat to community members at the time.
Officers and Detectives were on scene and conducted a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.
Later in the day, the Hercules PD posted, “We have successfully completed our investigation and are no longer asking community members to avoid the area. We would like to thank everyone for their cooperation during this incident and would like to once again, assure community members there is no danger or threat from this incident.”
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything, or who has information that could assist investigators, is urged to contact Detective Sgt. Tafesse at 510-799-8271 or etafesse@herculesca.gov.
Read More
For Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
By City of Hercules
At the Nov. 12 City Council meeting, the Hercules Police Department accepted a $75,000 Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). This funding will support traffic enforcement efforts that reduce impaired driving and other primary collision factors.
“This grant serves our commitment to keeping Hercules’ drivers and pedestrians safe,” said Police Chief Joseph Vasquez. “With this funding, we are able to further educate our community on safe driving practices and enforce regulations on speeding and impaired driving.”
According to the staff report for the agenda item, “The grant will allow the City to focus on a comprehensive approach to enforce, educate, and encourage compliance with seatbelt use, impaired driving, speed limit, and other traffic laws. Education and enforcement are two very important components of collision reduction. The acceptance of the grant will allow the Hercules Police Department to bolster its enforcement and education efforts in the aforementioned areas of concern.”
The STEP grant will enhance the City’s ongoing efforts to improve roadway safety by focusing on critical enforcement areas such as impaired driving, distracted driving, pedestrian safety and seatbelt and speed laws while also supporting community education initiatives that encourage safe driving behaviors. The funding will allow the Hercules Police Department to perform overtime operations for DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols and traffic enforcement operations linked to distracted and impaired driving.
Hercules has previously used STEP grant funding to purchase electronic citation writers, collision-investigation software and a speed trailer with a digital message board for special events, road closures and speed deterrence. This new funding will allow the Hercules Police Department to continue strengthening its enforcement and education efforts.
Read MoreThe Nunn-Paulsen inholding, featuring rugged slopes and lush woodland. Photo: Cooper Ogden
Bob Nunn donates “Nunn-Paulsen Inholding” in memory of his father, Ron
“when he could look and see Mount Diablo, he knew he was home”
New law to expedite land acquisitions for state parks
By Laura Kindsvater, Senior Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo
MOUNT DIABLO, CA— One of Mount Diablo’s last privately owned inholdings, rugged and biodiverse, is now permanently protected from development.
On December 2, 2025, Bob Nunn generously donated five gorgeous acres (known as the “Nunn-Paulsen inholding”), surrounded on four sides by Mount Diablo State Park, to Save Mount Diablo in memory of his late father, Ron Nunn, who passed away in August.
The project has taken just over three months from concept to close of escrow.
This incredible gift will bring us one step closer to making the mountain whole and protected for current and future generations.
Protecting inholdings like this is critical to maintaining the integrity of Mount Diablo and Mount Diablo State Park.
These privately held parcels have the potential to disrupt and threaten conservation efforts in the surrounding park if the inholdings were to be developed or poorly taken care of.
Location of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding on the northern slopes of Mount Diablo. Map graphic: Save Mount Diablo
“On behalf of Save Mount Diablo, I thank Bob Nunn for his generous donation of the strategic Nunn-Paulsen property to our organization in honor of his father, Ron Nunn,” said Ted Clement, Save Mount Diablo’s Executive Director.
“This property is on the slopes of Mount Diablo, and is an inholding surrounded on all sides by Mount Diablo State Park. Privately owned inholdings within public parks are major land acquisition priorities for Save Mount Diablo, so we are deeply grateful that this year our wonderful supporters enabled us to complete two inholding acquisitions within Mount Diablo State Park, the ‘Balcerzak inholding’ and now the ‘Nunn-Paulsen inholding.’
“We look forward to working with our good partner California State Parks so that we can eventually transfer these inholdings to them with the assistance of a new law we helped champion to make such acquisitions by state parks easier.”
New Law to Expedite Land Acquisitions for State Parks
View of Mount Olympia and North Peak, at the base of which sits the Nunn-Paulsen inholding. Photo: Scott Hein. Map inset of Mt. Diablo State Park peaks and trails. Source: trailmeister.com
We were delighted when Senate Bill 630 (SB 630) was signed into law on October 13th of this year as a result of persistent efforts from us and a dedicated working group of conservation organizations that we helped start last year.
For nearly 20 years, Mount Diablo State Park was unable to add any new land because of the onerous requirement that California State Parks gain approval from other agencies for even minor acquisitions, along with other issues.
The new law will expedite qualifying land acquisitions for California State Parks by allowing the addition of lands, with acquisition costs of $1 million or less, to existing state parks without the need for multiple agency approvals.
With this streamlined process, we are hopeful that inholdings and adjacent lands will now be more easily added to Mount Diablo State Park.
Thankfully, this year, Save Mount Diablo completed the purchase of the 10-acre Balcerzak inholding within Mount Diablo State Park on September 2nd by paying off the $537,500 mortgage so that our organization now owns the property free and clear.
Acquiring and protecting inholdings like the Nunn-Paulsen and Balcerzak inholdings are major accomplishments in our ongoing mission to save Mount Diablo and its sustaining wild lands.
The Nunn Family and Save Mount Diablo
Ron Nunn. Photo courtesy of Bob Nunn
For many years, Save Mount Diablo has deeply appreciated the partnership and support of the Nunn family. The Nunns have deep agricultural roots in Brentwood going back to the 1880s.
Fifth- and sixth-generation Brentwood farmers, they’ve also been involved in development of some of their lands into communities like the retirement community Summerset, and oil and gas, while reinvesting in other agricultural areas.
Responsible land management has always been a key practice of Three Nunns Farm, which is still a thriving family enterprise today.
With Blackhawk Development Company, the Nunns have been involved in many development-conservation projects, like Trilogy at the Vineyards on the remnant of the Cowell Ranch, where 90 percent of the land became a new state park and 10 percent was developed.
The Nunn family has been a major factor in Brentwood’s success.
Bob Nunn has also been a longtime friend and supporter of Save Mount Diablo. On August 20th, he offered to donate the Nunn-Paulsen inholding to Save Mount Diablo.
In the early 1990s, Bob was looking for a place to live, and his dad, Ron Nunn, knew a landowner, Dr. Warren Wise, who owned a property near the corner of Marsh Creek Road and Morgan Territory Road, where Save Mount Diablo made its first acquisition in 1976.
Ron Nunn and Dr. Wise both attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton. On the slopes off North Peak, the Wise property had been on our acquisition lists from the first list in 1972.
Bob called us and said, “There’s this property, it’s 83 acres with an old house I’m going to upgrade, how about I keep five acres and sell you the rest.”
Save Mount Diablo was able to acquire and add the property we named “Three Springs” to Mount Diablo State Park in 1992 thanks to the deal with Bob Nunn. He later served as a member of Save Mount Diablo’s Board of Directors for a time.
His recent thoughtful donation of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding is yet another way the Nunns have helped protect the mountain.
“This donation is being made in memory of my father Ron Nunn, who passed at 92 years of age on August 8, 2025. Although my father had many stories to tell, one that always stuck with me and that I also share is when he could look and see Mount Diablo, he knew he was home,” Bob explained, showing how the mountain means a lot to those of us who live in the Mount Diablo area and connects us.
Generosity and gratitude are the fabric of the land conservation community. During challenging times, donations like this are more important than ever. They help protect our natural foundation and quality of life, while also inspiring us.
As a pillar of the early Brentwood community, Ron Nunn was also a longtime supporter of the East Contra Costa Historical Society, working together to preserve Brentwood’s agricultural roots.
The Nunns placed agricultural conservation easements on some properties to permanently protect the farmlands from future development.
In 2015, the Nunns made a landmark deal with the East Bay Regional Park District to sell 646 acres of Nunn family farmland near Knightsen.
This transaction, in partnership with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, allowed the East Bay Regional Park District to restore crucial Delta tidal and freshwater wetlands in the area.
A Biodiversity Gem
Lush vegetation covers the steep slopes of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding. Photo: Scott Hein
The Nunn-Paulsen property is a compact and biologically diverse gem. This Marsh Creek watershed location includes two ephemeral streams, harboring a huge variety of plant life on its steep, rocky slopes.
The property contains blue oak and live oak woodland and oak savanna habitat. California red-legged frog and Alameda whipsnake are special status species that are likely to be present on the property. They’re confirmed on the neighboring Three Springs property.
The serpentine rock on the Nunn-Paulsen land provides excellent growing conditions for rare plant species.
A hike there is both adventurous and intimate. In winter especially, the dramatic shape of the land means that storms and seasonal rain bring small waterfalls.
In addition to its important location on the slopes of Mount Diablo, the Nunn-Paulsen inholding is also strategically located in a wildlife corridor between Mount Diablo State Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve.
An Ambitious Conservation Vision and Growing Success, Piece by Piece
The Corner Piece, purchased by Save Mount Diablo in 1976. At the time, it was four miles from the boundary of Mount Diablo State Park. Today it is part of and connected to the rest of Mount Diablo State Park. Photo: Scott Hein
Save Mount Diablo has acquired and protected many important properties in the area near the recently acquired Nunn-Paulsen inholding.
In 1976, Save Mount Diablo’s very first acquisition was in this same area: The Corner Piece. The Corner Piece is 117 acres of blue oak woodland at the corner of Morgan Territory and Marsh Creek roads.
Soon after Save Mount Diablo acquired The Corner Piece, Mount Diablo State Park protected North Peak, allowing the creation of the Olympia Trail to Mount Olympia.
In 1992, Save Mount Diablo acquired and transferred the Three Springs property to California State Parks for inclusion in Mount Diablo State Park.
The Three Springs property. Save Mount Diablo was able to acquire and add the Three Springs property to Mount Diablo State Park in 1992 thanks to a deal with Bob Nunn. Photo: Scott Hein
In 1994, Save Mount Diablo’s community-funded purchase of the 333-acre Chaparral Spring parcel turned it into a thriving, protected oasis home to wildlife like the golden eagle and endemics like the Mount Diablo globe lily—and a critical step in creating a Mount Diablo State Park wildlife and recreational corridor.
Later we transferred the property to East Bay Regional Park District. Save Mount Diablo, the park district, and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy have since protected several thousand acres to connect the two parks.
Save Mount Diablo protected the botanical diversity of Young Canyon by preserving this property in 2006 in what we call the “Missing Mile” on the slopes of North Peak.
It nurtures well over a hundred species of flowers, including five California endemics, because it’s crossed by the only band of serpentine on Mount Diablo.
The landscape of Young Canyon includes a 1,420-foot knoll, a mossy, fern-filled stream canyon, and a rocky meadow of wildflowers where you’ll often see hawks and turkey vultures riding the constant breeze.
The next year, Irish Canyon was Save Mount Diablo’s breakthrough purchase, stopping development speculation and expanding the Mount Diablo–Black Diamond wildlife corridor.
This land is a vital 320-acre watershed property with over 297 species and a permanent pond.
In 2022, Save Mount Diablo successfully acquired a very important conservation easement from the Concord Mt. Diablo Trail Ride Association.
Save Mount Diablo’s conservation easement permanently protected from development 154 acres that are a prominent part of the Mount Diablo high peaks ecosystem, and another step in filling in the North Peak “Missing Mile.”
Krane Pond is one of Mount Diablo’s largest water sources, drawing all sorts of creatures, like bobcats, red-legged frogs, and migrating birds—so Krane Pond’s acquisition and protection by Save Mount Diablo in 2023 was vital to local habitat conservation.
It was another step in filling in the “Missing Mile.”
The Nunn-Paulsen property had been one of the few remaining privately owned inholdings not yet protected on Mount Diablo, and that changed on December 2nd with Save Mount Diablo’s successful acquisition of the land, thanks to Bob Nunn.
Holiday Gift, Gratitude, and What’s Next?
The Nunn-Paulsen inholding and the surrounding Mount Diablo State Park. Photo: Cooper Ogden
Bob Nunn’s generous donation of the strategic Nunn-Paulsen inholding on the slopes of Mount Diablo to Save Mount Diablo is a wonderful holiday gift for the mountain and our communities, including the people, flora, and fauna of the area.
Our stewardship team is excited to begin caring for the property.
At Save Mount Diablo, we are grateful for our supporters and the progress they have helped our organization make this year in successfully advancing our land conservation mission, including helping advance acquisition priorities for California State Parks.
The new law we helped champion (SB 630) that will streamline the acquisition process for California State Parks, and our completing the Balcerzak and Nunn-Paulsen inholding acquisitions, are major accomplishments.
SB 630 covers many properties our organization has been working to convey to California State Parks for addition to Mount Diablo State Park (the 101-acre CEMEX parcel, parts of Curry Canyon Ranch, the Balcerzak inholding, the Nunn-Paulsen inholding, the Viera North Peak property, etc.).
We look forward to working with California State Parks in the new year to start utilizing the new law to add these lands to Mount Diablo State Park.
Map showing the location of the Nunn-Paulsen inholding in Mount Diablo State Park. Map: Save Mount Diablo
For more information about Save Mount Diablo visit savemountdiablo.org.
Read More
Traveling 120-150 MPH; held on $1.2 million bail; claimed life of Castro Valley woman
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
Martinez, California – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged a Pleasanton man with murder in a DUI-related crash in San Ramon.
27-year-old Badal Devendra Dholaria was arraigned today, December 4th at 1:30 pm in Martinez on a five-count felony complaint. In addition to the murder charge [PC 187(a)] that led to the death of a 41-year-old Castro Valley woman, Dholaria is being charged with two counts of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury, and two counts of driving with a .08% blood alcohol content causing injury [VC23153(a) and VC23153(b)]. The DUI-related offenses each come with enhancements alleging great bodily injury both to the woman and a 40-year-old man – also from Castro Valley. (See related article)
On December 3, 2025, the San Ramon Police Department presented its findings to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Following their review, Dholaria was charged with one count of second-degree murder, and four counts of felony DUI. His bail has been set at $1.2 million, and he remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility.
District Attorney Diana Becton said, “I want to be clear: every DUI-related incident represents a choice — a choice that can kill. If you’re impaired, don’t drive. Every time you get behind the wheel under the influence, you’re gambling with lives. Whether it’s alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications, or illegal drugs, any substance that impairs your ability to operate a vehicle safely makes you a danger on our roads.”
Case No 01-25-04261| The People of the State of California v. Badal Devendra Dholaria
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-feet, three-inch tall Dholaria’s is being held in the West County Detention Facility and his bail was increased from $300,000 to now $1.2 million.
According to localcrimenews.com, he was also arrested by Concord Police on Nov 16, 2025, for resisting, obstructing or delaying and evading a peace officer.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read More
Gift Wrapping Event at Barnes & Noble Thursday, Dec. 4; plus, Warm Coat and CANTREE Food Drives and more
By Jody Drewery, President, Women’s Council of REALTORS®
Real Estate is not just about buying and selling homes — it’s about showing up for our community. I’m proud to be a part of the Delta Women’s Council of REALTORS® and the Delta Association of REALTORS® Community Foundation, where giving back is at the heart of what we do.
This season, we have several opportunities to make a difference — and you don’t have to be a REALTOR® to help.
First, join us this Thursday! The Delta Women’s Council of REALTORS® will be at Barnes & Noble in the Streets of Brentwood (2475 Sand Creek Road, Suite 100) for a community Gift Wrapping Event and hosting Adopt-a-Senior.
You can also:
- Donate to the Warm Coat Drive (see above)
- Donate a Gift Card
- Donate canned goods to the CANTREE Food Drive (see below)
Every contribution, big or small, helps someone in need — and with the year many families have had, from economic challenges to government impacts, there has never been a more meaningful time to come together.
If you’d like additional information or want to get involved, please call (925) 818-1977 or visit www.facebook.com/WCRDelta. Let’s collaborate and spread some love throughout our community!
Read MoreGun, drugs and Ziploc baggies shaped and printed like $20 bills confiscated during arrest. Photo: Brentwood PD
Georgia Lee Malone held on $220,000 bail; third arrest this year
By Brentwood Police Department
Early Tuesday morning, Dec. 2, 2025, a Brentwood Police Officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Lone Tree Way and Shady Willow Lane for a vehicle code violation. During the contact, the driver, identified as 49-year-old Georgia Lee Malone (born 7/23/1976) was found to be a convicted felon in possession of a loaded firearm, drugs, a scale, multiple Ziploc baggies shaped and printed like dollar bills, and a fake ID.
Malone was arrested and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.
We remain committed to keeping our community safe, and proactive enforcement like this helps prevent dangerous situations before they occur.
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, three-inch tall, 220-pound Malone is now being held in the West County Detention Facility on $220,000 bail.
According to localcrimenews.com, Malone is Black and from Pittsburg and was previously arrested four times, including twice more this year, by Contra Costa CHP, Pleasant Hill Antioch Police Departments for petty theft: retail merchandise, receiving known stolen property over $200, possession of narcotic controlled substance, DUI alcohol/drugs, DUI with blood alcohol content level great than .08, and failure to appear on misdemeanor charge.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this article.
Read More
25 organizations benefit on Giving Tuesday
By Victor Benedict Tiglao, Communications Associate, Office of Supervisor Ken Carlson
PLEASANT HILL, CA (December 2, 2025) – Contra Costa County Supervisor Ken Carlson announced 25 local organizations selected to receive the District IV Community Impact Fund, following a review of more than 100 applications totaling $6.5 million in requests. Carlson noted his office spent over 160 hours evaluating proposals to ensure funds reached organizations making the greatest impact.
“I am proud to announce the 25 organizations selected to receive the District IV Community Impact Fund grants,” said Carlson. “These grants reflect the strength and resilience of our community. By investing in local nonprofits, we are ensuring that families, students, and residents across District IV have access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”
The Mt. Diablo Education Foundation highlighted how the grant will benefit students:
“This program has pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me find my voice. Having access to this program has opened doors I never knew existed and brought me places I never thought I’d go.” – Gabrielle, 12th Grade student at Ygnacio Valley High School
The Cancer Support Community (CSC) also shared how funding will expand services:
“I never thought I’d be diagnosed with cancer, but after treatments and surgeries my life was turned upside down. Finding the Cancer Support Community gave me strength, and for seven years I’ve relied on their programs. This grant will make in‑person support even more accessible for people like me.”– Daryl, CSC participant and Pleasant Hill resident
Other awardees include: 18 Reasons, Assistance League of Diablo Valley, Care Parent Network, Child Advocates of Contra Costa County, Choice in Aging, Clayton Pride, CoCo Kids, Community Violence Solutions, Contra Costa County Historical Society, Contra Costa Humane Society, Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, Empowered Aging, First Tee – Contra Costa, GANAS Community Organization, Hope Solutions, Joybound and Trinity Center, Meals on Wheels Contra Costa, Mental Health Connections, Monument First 5, The Network of Care, St. Vincent de Paul – St. Agnes, United Latino Voices of Contra Costa County, and Winter Nights Family Shelter.
“This Giving Tuesday, I encourage our residents to stand with these 25 organizations. Each one is doing extraordinary work. Your support amplifies the Community Impact Fund and helps these programs grow stronger, reaching more neighbors across Contra Costa County.”
First elected in 2022, Supervisor Carlson represents District IV on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, which includes the cities of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, and parts of Walnut Creek.
Read MoreFormer Antioch Police Officer Devon Wenger rookie photo (center), Instagram photo (left) and character portraying him in a video on Instagram (right).
Devon Wenger claims he was framed, retaliated against as a whistleblower, suing police department; posts animated video on Instagram to offer his side of the story
By Michele Lo, PIO, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Former Antioch police officer Devon Christopher Wenger was sentenced today to seven-and-a-half years in federal prison for conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate residents of Antioch through the use of unreasonable force, conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids, and obstructing justice. Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White handed down the sentence.
Wenger, 33, formerly of Oakley, California, was indicted in two separate cases. In April 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Wenger on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids and one count of obstruction of justice. In September 2025, following a seven-day trial, a jury convicted Wenger of conspiracy against rights. Wenger was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals in September 2025 and has remained in federal custody since then.
“Devon Wenger and his co-conspirators believed the badges they wore gave them a license to break the law. They were wrong. Today, the court held Mr. Wenger accountable for his betrayal of the public trust placed in him,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian.
“Devon Wenger’s sentencing marks another significant step in a multi-year effort to uncover and confront corruption within the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. His conviction, along with the earlier convictions in this case, underscores that no one is above the law. The FBI and our partners are committed to holding those who violate the civil rights of others and betray the public’s trust accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at the September 2025 trial, Wenger and two other Antioch Police Department officers, Morteza Amiri and Eric Rombough, conspired with each other and others about using excessive force against individuals in and around Antioch. The uses and intended uses of excessive force included deployment of a police K9, deployment of a 40mm “less lethal” launcher, and other unnecessary violence. The evidence showed that Wenger and others deployed uses of force as punishment to subjects beyond any punishment appropriately imposed by the criminal justice system. Wenger also withheld details about uses of excessive force from police reports and other official documents.
Wenger, Amiri, and or Rombough engaged in numerous communications in furtherance of the conspiracy, including an April 2019 communication in which Wenger sent a photo and booking information for a suspect to Amiri and Rombough and requested that they “[p]lease find this guy[] and f— him in the a–.” Rombough responded “Deal,” and Amiri responded “ill bite em.”
Later in 2019, Wenger broke the arm of a young female shoplifting suspect, then pushed her sister to the ground, handcuffed the sister, picked the sister up and grabbed her neck, and smashed the sister’s face into the side of the patrol car, as captured on video. However, Wenger wrote in his police report that as he was escorting the sister to a patrol car, she attempted to pull away from him and that as a result of her actions she “subsequently fell onto the side of the patrol vehicle.”
In August 2020, after Amiri deployed his K9 to apprehend a suspect in Pittsburg, California, with Wenger, he wrote to Wenger “if pitt didn’t have all those body cams and that was us… we would have f—ed him up more. he didn’t get what he deserved.” Wenger responded, “I agree. That’s why I don’t like body cams.” The next night, Wenger wrote to Amiri, “We need to get into something tonight bro!! Lets go 3 nights in a row dog bite!!!” Amiri and Wenger exchanged additional messages and bloodied photographs after engaging with another suspect that night, and following Amiri’s deployment of his K9 to bite a suspect in a homeless encampment the subsequent evening. At the end of the week, Amiri wrote to Wenger, “let’s f— some people up next work week,” to which Wenger agreed.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the April 2025 trial, in February 2022, Wenger set up the sale of anabolic steroids, a Schedule III controlled substance, between Daniel Harris, who was at the time also an Antioch Police Department officer, and a third individual. Law enforcement officials seized the package of anabolic steroids destined for Harris before they arrived, although Wenger continued to communicate with Harris about supplying the third individual with anabolic steroids, including offering to give this individual some of Wenger’s own while they waited for the delayed package.
On March 23, 2022, at 8:03 a.m., the FBI began calling and sending text messages to Wenger telling him that they were outside of his residence with a warrant. It was not until 9:00 a.m. that Wenger appeared for the FBI to seize Wenger’s cellular phone. Later forensic examination of that device showed that specific entries related to the anabolic steroid distribution conspiracy had been deleted.
In addition to the prison term, Judge White also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. A hearing to determine the amounts of restitution owed to victims is scheduled for January 27, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security & Special Prosecutions Section and the Oakland Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Office of the Contra Costa County District Attorney.
Wenger Claims He Was Framed, Retaliated Against as a Whistleblower
As previously reported by the Herald, following his conviction in April this year, the former Antioch officer shared, “I never have had anything to do with steroids. Never took them, never possessed them, and sure as heck never conspired to distribute them. I took PEPTIDES, gonadorelin to be specific. It’s legal and NOT a steroid. I took the peptides to recover from COVID, COVID almost killed me and had me in a hospital bed and left my body in shambles. I still feel the effects of it to this day and will never fully recover. The FBI even seized gonadorelin and numerous other peptides failed to disclose that.”
Further, he claimed earlier this year he’s a whistleblower being framed.
“I am innocent. I am a whistleblower facing a whistleblower retaliation prosecution to silence me. I am being framed on fabricated and tampered evidence. Yes, the FBI and the US Attorneys on this case have fabricated and tampered with evidence, in addition to misrepresenting evidence and even lying to the court, and the public. They have…gone so far as to manipulate and suppress the documents that prove this (including exculpatory evidence) in the metadata data of their own discovery documents in order to push their false narrative. The truth will surface. That’s all I can say.”
“In addition to this we have filed a civil lawsuit against APD which outlines everything they put me through which led to these bogus charges against me,” Wenger added.
(See related articles here and here)
Two-Part Report Series Supports Wenger’s Claims
In addition, a two-part series, by The Current Report, provides additional details from Wenger’s perspective which claims he “exposed misconduct inside his department in 2021.” The articles include several court and legal documents to support the former officer’s claims. See Part 1 entitled, “The Digital Frame-Up: How the FBI and Contra Costa DA Turned a Police Whistleblower into a Federal Target” and Part 2 entitled, “The Retaliation of Officer Devon Wenger: Inside Antioch PD’s Cross-Agency Cover-Up – The ‘Good Ole Boy Club’ Part 2.”
Instagram Video Posts, Tags Federal Officials
Wenger posted videos on Instagram, including an animated video using an account entitled, “Thepolicewhistleblower” on August 7, 2025, explaining his claims against the Antioch PD, Contra Costa DA’s Office and the FBI. The account description reads, “I am a police whistleblower facing a retaliatory prosecution for upholding my oath and standing up against both federal and local LEO corruption in CA.”
In the post Wenger wrote, “This is the unfortunate reality of what happens to police officers who break the ‘blue wall of silence’ and blow the whistle on corruption. I upheld my oath and did what was right, and now I am being retaliated against, silenced, and framed by the same system I once defended with my life. I WILL NOT STOP until the TRUTH is exposed. Rest assured, the truth always comes to light, and I will NEVER compromise my integrity nor my oath, not even in the face of impossible odds. I WILL NEVER QUIT.”
Three weeks later he tagged several federal officials including President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley and posted the following:
“So, are you guys going to look into this or are you going to allow your low level FBI agents work with local police to fabricate evidence against a police whistleblower? I don’t know how many times I have reached out to each of you with no answer nor even an acknowledgment. This is a horrific constitutional violation and as severe deprivation of rights against a police whistleblower. I upheld my oath and stood up to corruption, it has cost me everything and now I’m deprived of my whistleblower protections rights and my very constitutional rights this country was founded on. Get it together and stop covering for criminals hiding behind badges in your organization.”
On a different Instagram account, which can no longer be located, Wenger posted a video of himself and linked to the two articles by The Current Report.
Charges Part of Broader Investigation of Antioch, Pittsburg Police
The charges against Wenger were brought as part of an investigation into the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments that resulted in multiple federal charges against 10 current and former officers and employees of these two police departments for various crimes ranging from the use of excessive force to fraud. The status of these cases, all of which are before Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White, is below:
| Case Name and Number | Statute(s) | Defendant
(Bold: multiple case numbers) |
Status |
| Fraud
23-cr-00264 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; 1343 (Wire Fraud) | Patrick Berhan | Sentenced to 30 months custody, 2 years supervised release concurrent with 24-cr-157 on 9/5/24 |
| Morteza Amiri | Sentenced to 84 months custody, 3 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-269 on 6/24/25 | ||
| Amanda Theodosy a/k/a Nash | Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release 11/15/24 | ||
| Samantha Peterson | Sentenced to time served, 3 years supervised release 4/24/24 | ||
| Ernesto Mejia-Orozco | Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 9/19/24 | ||
| Brauli Jalapa Rodriguez | Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 10/25/24 | ||
| Obstruction
23-cr-00267 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations); 1512(c)(2) (Obstruction of Official Proceedings); 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) | Timothy Manly Williams | Pleaded guilty 11/28/23, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 |
| Steroid Distribution
23-cr-00268 |
21 U.S.C. §§ 846 (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids), 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids) | Daniel Harris | Pleaded guilty 9/17/24, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 |
| 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids);
18 U.S.C. § 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) |
Devon Wenger | Sentenced to 90 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 12/2/2025 | |
| Civil Rights
23-cr-00269 |
18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law); § 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) | Morteza Amiri | Sentenced to 84 months custody, 3 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-264 on 6/24/25 |
| 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) | Eric Rombough | Pleaded guilty 1/14/25, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 | |
| 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) | Devon Wenger | Sentenced to 90 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 12/2/2025 | |
| Steroid Distribution
24-cr-00157 |
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids) | Patrick Berhan | Sentenced to 30 months custody, 2 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-264 on 9/5/24 |
| Bank fraud
24-cr-00502 |
18 U.S.C. § 1344(1), (2) (Bank fraud) | Daniel Harris | Pleaded guilty 9/17/24, sentencing set for 1/13/2026 |
Further Information: Case Nos. 23-cr-0268 JSW; 23-cr-0269 JSW
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read More