Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Suspect arrested in Bay Point homicide

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A U.S. Marshals’ Fugitive Task Force and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Warrant Service Unit last Monday, May 2, 2016 arrested 20-year-old Marshon Ardoin of Dixon in connection to a Bay Point homicide.

On April 14, 2016, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report of an injured person on the ground in the area of Driftwood Drive and Port Chicago Highway in Bay Point. Deputies found 28-year-old David Mallard of Richmond unresponsive and began CPR. Mallard was pronounced deceased by the Fire Department. It was later discovered that Mallard had been shot.

Detectives from the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office identified Ardoin as the suspect in this case. There was a warrant for his arrest. Detectives believe Mallard was murdered in Richmond and his body was placed at that location in Bay Point.

Ardoin is currently being held at the Martinez Detention Facility in lieu of $1 million bail.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at 925-313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.ccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

DA charges Concord company owners with felony fraud, grand theft, Friday

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District Attorney Mark Peterson announced, Friday that after an extensive investigation, 11 felony charges were filed against Nathan and Sarah Moore, owners of NRM Renovations, Inc., in Concord for workers’ compensation fraud, grand theft of labor and payroll tax fraud.

When reached for comment, Nathan Moore said “No comment. I have no comment.”

The investigation originally began with a series of wage and labor complaints to the U.S. Department of Labor in June of 2015.  Allegations included that workers were not being paid for work they completed doing hotel renovations for NRM Renovations. The Department of Labor forwarded these complaints to the District Attorney’s office, and a joint investigation of suspected labor violations began. The investigation expanded to include three state agencies.  The CA Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) assisted in interviewing the employees. The CA Department of Insurance (CDI) investigated allegations regarding the underpayment of workers’ compensation insurance premiums.  The Employment and Development Department (EDD) helped investigate tax and payroll issues.

NRM Renovations is alleged to owe over $30,000 in back wages to several employees, approximately $250,000 in workers’ compensation premiums to several different insurance companies, and back taxes to the EDD on over $1,000,000 in wages.

Charges include three counts of violating Insurance Code §11760(a) (Workers’ Compensation fraud), and one violation each of Insurance Code §11880(a) (Workers’ Compensation fraud), Penal Code §487 (grand theft of labor), Unemployment Insurance Code (“UI”) §2108 (nonpayment of contributions), UI Code §2177.5 (failure to file a return), and UI 2118.5 (Failure to account and pay over taxes). Due to the amount of loss, the defendants were also charged with an Aggravated White Collar Crime enhancement under Penal Code §186.11(a)(3).

“Businesses that exploit their workers through wage theft will be prosecuted,” said District Attorney Mark Peterson. “We place a priority on restitution for all victims.”

Multiple agencies assisted the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office with this investigation including: the US Department of Labor, the Department of Industrial Relations, the Department of Insurance, the Employment and Development Department, the State Compensation Insurance Fund, Norguard and Benchmark Insurance Companies.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

Applicants needed for Contra Costa County Disproportionate Minority Contact Task Force

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County Supervisors are seeking residents interested in reviewing data and discussing issues regarding disproportionate minority contact within the local criminal justice system. On April 12,

2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the 17 member Disproportionate Minority Contact Task Force composed of the following members:

  • County Probation Officer
  • Public Defender
  • District Attorney
  • Sheriff-Coroner
  • Health Services Director
  • Superior Court representative
  • County Police Chief’s Association representative
  • Mount Diablo Unified School District representative
  • Antioch Unified School District representative
  • West Contra Costa Unified School District representative
  • (5) Community-based organization (CBO) representatives (at least 1 representative from each region of the County and at least one representative from the faith and family community)
  • Mental Health representative (not a County employee)
  • Public Member – At Large

Following passage of Assembly Bill 109, commonly known as Public Safety Realignment, significant program infrastructure, both within the County and in the community, were put into place to support returning citizens with successful reentry into the community following incarceration; however, there remain factors that contribute to minority residents experiencing disproportionate levels of arrest, prosecution and incarceration. Cities and counties across the nation are grappling with the same issue, but precipitating factors and solutions are unique to each jurisdiction.

In Contra Costa County, the Board of Supervisors has charged the newly established Task Force with identifying these unique factors and recommending solutions to improve the experience of minority residents across the County. The Board is seeking applications for seven (7) of the seats above; five (5) community based organization seats, one (1) Mental Health representative seat and one (1) Public member At-Large seat at this time. Applicants for community based organizations seats must be affiliated with a community based organization operating within the County. Applicants for the Mental Health representative seat must be involved in the mental health community within the County, but cannot be a County employee.

Applicants for the Public Member At-Large seat may be any individual that resides or works within the County.

Applicants will be interviewed by the Board of Supervisors’ Public Protection Committee (Supervisors Candace Andersen, District II and John Gioia, District I) with appointment recommendations being sent to the full Board of Supervisors for action. Below is a timeline for the recruitment:

  • June 15th: Application Deadline (7 week application period)
  • June 27th: Public Protection Committee Meeting: Interviews
  • July 12th: Board consideration of PPC nominations

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 335-1900, or by visiting the County webpage at www.co.contra-costa.ca.us. Applications should

be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Room 106, County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Applications can also be faxed to (925) 335-1913.

East Richmond Heights missing person case now a homicide, one suspect arrested, another being sought

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Andre Villedrouin

Andre Villedrouin

Detectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division are continuing to investigate the killing of 47-year-old Kimberly Hoglund of East Richmond Heights.

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, it was brought to the attention of the Office of the Sheriff that Hoglund was missing and that foul play may be involved. Detectives served a search warrant on a home in East Richmond Heights and discovered a possible crime scene, but did not locate Hoglund. The next morning, Detectives detained a suspect, who was later arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility. 37-year-old Dylan Reese of El Sobrante is being held on homicide and assault with a deadly weapon charges; his bail is set at $1.3 million.

Detectives and Crime Lab personnel searched a home on Appian Way in El Sobrante in an effort to locate Hoglund. On Tuesday, the body of Hoglund was found in a shallow grave on the property. Detectives say Hoglund was last seen on March 28, 2016 and likely died shortly thereafter. Her family filed a missing persons report on her on April 12, 2016.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office yesterday filed formal homicide charges against Reese and a second suspect, 43-year-old Andre Villedrouin of Richmond, who remains outstanding.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Villedrouin is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff at (925) 646-2441. The Investigations Division can be reached at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

 

Armed robbery at California Grand Casino in Pacheco on Monday

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Photo of suspect holding gun during the early Monday morning robbery at the California Grand Casino in Pacheco. photo courtesy of CCCSheriff.

Photo of suspect holding gun during the early Monday morning robbery at the California Grand Casino in Pacheco. photos courtesy of CCCSheriff.

Car believed to be involved in the robbery at California Grand Casino in Pacheco on Monday.

Vehicle of suspect in robbery at California Grand Casino in Pacheco on Monday.

On Monday, morning April 25 at about 4:45, Office of the Contra Costa County Sheriff dispatch received a report that an armed robbery was taking place at the California Grand Casino at the 5900 block of Pacheco Boulevard in Pacheco.

Deputies responded along with officers from nearby law enforcement agencies. A perimeter was set up and employees and customers were evacuated.

California Grand elevatorOfficers conducted a security sweep of the building. The suspect was not located. There were no injuries and the loss is still being determined.

Suspect description: Male, 6′, approximately 200 pounds, wearing a full face Halloween mask, black hoodie jacket, dark pants, orange gloves, armed with a semi-automatic rifle.

Anyone with any information on this robbery is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at (925) 313-2662. (See more photos on the County Sheriff’s Facebook page).

 

Danville real estate agent sentenced to four years in prison for bank fraud, money laundering scheme

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OAKLAND – Anthony Keslinke, 48, of Danville, was sentenced to four years in prison today for his leadership role in a large-scale bank fraud conspiracy and a separate money laundering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf.

Keslinke pleaded guilty in May of 2015 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.  In pleading guilty, Keslinke admitted that he used straw buyers to purchase real estate throughout Northern California between 2011 and 2014.  Keslinke identified properties, including his own properties, that were potential candidates for a “short sale.”  A “short sale” is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds are less than the balance owed on the mortgage loan pertaining to the property and often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan.

In furtherance of the scheme, Keslinke submitted offers to the financial institutions on behalf of straw buyers.  In order to induce a bank to accept a short sale offer, Keslinke would draft fraudulent financial hardship letters and submit them on behalf of the seller of a property.  In addition, in order to give the appearance to the financial institutions that the properties were worth significantly less than true fair market value, Keslinke often altered engineering and pest reports associated with the properties.  Moreover, in furtherance of his scheme, Keslinke often altered bank account documents to create the appearance that the straw buyers had sufficient funds to purchase the properties in cash.  Once a financial institution accepted a particular property for a short sale, Keslinke used his own funds to purchase the property in the name of the straw buyer.  After a short sale was completed on a particular property, Keslinke maintained control of the property and often sold the property for a significant financial gain.  Keslinke admitted using this mortgage fraud scheme to orchestrate the short sale of properties in Danville, Walnut Creek, and Kings Beach, California.

Keslinke also admitted that between August of 2013 and February of 2014, he met on multiple occasions with an undercover agent purporting to be a drug dealer.  Keslinke accepted a total of $550,000 from the undercover agent.  In an attempt to conceal the true source of the funds, Keslinke repeatedly deposited the money received from the undercover agent into business bank accounts under his control.  Keslinke then attempted to launder the money by wiring it from his business bank accounts to an account controlled by the undercover agent.  Keslinke routinely kept 8-10% of the money provided to him from the undercover agent as a fee for his services.

The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Jon S. Tigar.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar also ordered the defendant to pay a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $2,086,405 and a fine of $50,000.  Keslinke also agreed to forfeit $1,722,426 in cash seized from his residence and his bank accounts.  Judge Tigar also ordered Keslinke to pay $1,427,916 in restitution to the victims of the charged crimes.  Judge Tigar also sentenced Keslinke to a three-year period of supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Wegner and David Countryman are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Vanessa Vargas and Carolyn Jusay.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA and IRS.  The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office and Livermore Police Department also provided assistance during the investigation. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.

DA Peterson, law enforcement agencies hold Day of Action to raise awareness on slavery and human trafficking in Contra Costa

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District Attorney Mark Peterson announced that his office is collaborating with local law enforcement agencies, the County’s Zero Tolerance for Human Trafficking Coalition, Family Justice Centers, and community-based organizations to raise awareness of human trafficking and slavery, provide services and support to victims and bring traffickers to justice. Contra Costa County includes Human Trafficking in its “Zero Tolerance Initiative” and will coordinate with similar initiatives in neighboring counties such as Alameda.

Peterson notes that such coordinated efforts are important to combat the many forms of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. The FBI has identified California as one of the nation’s top four destination states for trafficked persons. According to Peterson, Contra Costa County is a natural corridor for human trafficking activities with its linkage to major metropolitan areas like Oakland and San Francisco via public transportation (BART) and its accessibility to Los Angeles and Sacramento via major highways such as 680, 80 and 5 (via Hwy 4). Though human trafficking is illegal, victims often do not know where to turn for help and community members may not know where to report suspicious situations.

As part of the County’s awareness-raising efforts, Peterson announced a “Day of Action” to enforce Senate Bill 1193 (SB1193). This law, which was passed in 2013, requires specified businesses including airports, train stations, truck stops, certain bars, urgent care centers, farm labor contractors, and certain massage parlors to post notices listing information about human trafficking and a hotline number for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

Today, Saturday, April 23, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and police agencies in Walnut Creek, Concord, Pleasant Hill and Martinez are personally contacting some of the businesses covered by SB1193 and provide posters that include hotline numbers to seek help or report unlawful activity.

For additional information regarding SB 1193, please visit the Attorney General’s website at www.oag.ca.gov or contact your local law enforcement to report any possible slavery or human trafficking activity.

Lafayette police investigate suspicious death, Wednesday night

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The Lafayette Police Department is investigating a suspicious death that occurred in Lafayette.

On Wednesday at about 7:32 PM, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Rosedale Avenue for a welfare check from someone who a relative had not been able to contact in days. Officers accessed the residence and found a deceased 66-year-old woman. The victim is not being identified at this time.

The investigation into this death is ongoing.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Lafayette Police Department at (925) 283-3680. For any tips, please email: 94549Tip@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

 

Contra Costa Sheriff investigating possible murder-suicide in Rodeo, Wednesday

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From the Contra Costa County Sheriff-Official Page on Facebook, posted Wednesday, April 13 at about 9: p.m. – At about 2:31 PM today, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to numerous reports of a shooting on the 800 block of Sandy Cove Drive in Rodeo.

Upon arrival Deputies found a female seated in the driver’s seat of a car suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. A man was located on the street next to the car. He was suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies located a handgun at the scene.

Both subjects, who were in a dating relationship, were deceased. They are not being identified.

The investigation is ongoing. Detectives believe this to be a murder suicide.

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at 925-313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.ccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

 

Byron man wanted for child molestation, in officer involved shooting, Friday is dead, identified

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Gun of the suspect in Friday standoff in Byron. courtesy of CCC Office of Sheriff

Gun of the suspect in Friday standoff in Byron. courtesy of CCC Office of Sheriff

By Jimmy Lee, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

Investigators from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and the D.A.’s Office are investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred Friday morning per the county-wide officer involved protocol.

The suspect who barricaded himself in a house in Byron has been identified as 49-year-old Michael Mallett of Byron.

On Thursday at about 10:06 PM, Deputy Sheriffs went to a home on the 2700 block of Hoffman Lane in Byron to serve an arrest warrant. The $1.15 million dollar arrest warrant was for a 49-year-old man for 12 counts of child molestation. The investigating agency was the Office of the Sheriff.

Deputies made contact with the suspect, who walked out of the residence with a firearm. He refused to comply with the Deputies and went back into the home and barricaded himself. Deputies were able to evacuate other occupants in the home. Negotiators arrived on scene and began to communicate with him. Negotiations were sporadic but the suspect continually talked about not surrendering, not putting his gun down and harming himself.

The Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was called out at this morning at 3 AM as negotiations continued. Numerous announcements were made into the house for the man to surrender. At about 9:30 AM, chemical agents were deployed into the home. The suspect came out of a window armed with a handgun. He did not comply with commands to drop the weapon. He was shot when he raised the gun at Deputies. Deputies administered life-saving measures. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the fire department. The officer involved fatal incident protocol was invoked.

The Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division would like to hear from anyone with any information this incident. Detectives can be reached at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.