Contra Costa Herald

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

Another Dublin Federal Correction Institution officer pleads guilty to sexually abusing female inmates

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Sign at the former FCI Dublin women’s prison. Photo courtesy of Jesstess87.

10th at now closed FCI Dublin to plead guilty or be convicted to date

By William Elwood, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer David Perez pleaded guilty Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, to sexually abusing two female inmates at the Federal Correction Institution (FCI) in Dublin, Calif., a low- and minimum-security federal prison for females.  Perez also admitted to making false statements to federal investigators.

Perez was charged by Information on September 16, 2026.  He is the tenth correctional officer to have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial as part of an ongoing federal investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at FCI Dublin.

According to the plea agreement, Perez was employed at BOP from September 1994 to August 2019.  From approximately October 2014 until August 2019, Perez served as a Discipline Hearing Officer (DHO) at FCI Dublin.  In that role, he was responsible for adjudicating disciplinary actions against inmates who allegedly engaged in misconduct while in prison and issuing punishment if he found them guilty.

Between 2014 and 2015, Perez served as the DHO for four disciplinary hearings for a female inmate.  Each time, he found her guilty and assessed various sanctions, which sometimes included time in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) and loss of good time. Between August 2015 and September 2016, Perez repeatedly met with that inmate alone in a room in the Captain’s Complex.  During several of those meetings, Perez kissed the inmate and touched her breasts over and under her clothing.

In July 2016, Perez served as the DHO for another female inmate.  He found her guilty and sentenced her to a little over two weeks in the SHU, among other things.  After her release from the SHU, Perez began calling her to meet with him alone in the Captain’s Complex.  During those meetings, Perez complimented her looks, asked her to show him her breasts, and on one occasion told her that he had the power to add or subtract time from her sentence.  On two occasions when he was alone with this inmate, Perez kissed her and grabbed her breasts and buttocks.  On another occasion, Perez digitally penetrated the inmate’s vulva.

On October 8, 2024, Perez spoke with special agents with the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  During that interview, Perez falsely stated that the only time he had ever touched any female inmate was when he escorted them to and from discipline hearings.

Perez was released on bond.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2027, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

Perez faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the count of sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b), two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4), and eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of false statements to a government agency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).  Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Scandal Investigation Leads to Prison’s Closure

The investigation of the sexual misconduct scandal led to the facility’s closure.

According to a website about federal women’s prisons, the facility has been “closed since April 2024. It no longer houses anyone and is not a current federal designation.” It was a “low-security women’s FCI with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp.”

“In January 2024, a 60 Minutes report and FBI activity at the prison brought a new wave of scrutiny. In a class-action lawsuit brought by women held at Dublin, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers moved in March 2024 to appoint a special master to oversee conditions at the prison. Legal advocates described it as the first time a special master had been ordered over a federal prison. Within weeks, on April 15, 2024, the Bureau of Prisons announced it was closing FCI Dublin.”

FCI Dublin Investigation

As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 11 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility.  The status of these cases is below:

Defendant Case Number Status
Warden Ray J. Garcia 4:21-cr-00429-YGR Convicted on all counts by jury on Dec. 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prison
CO John Bellhouse 4:22-cr-00066-YGR Convicted on all counts by jury on Jun. 5, 2023; sentenced to 63 months in prison
CO Darrell Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”) 4:23-cr-00110-YGR Indicted on Apr. 13, 2023; charges dismissed on Dec. 22, 2025, following two hung juries
Chaplain James Highhouse 4:22-cr-00016-HSG Pleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prison
CO Ross Klinger 4:22-cr-00031-YGR Pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2022; sentenced to one year of home confinement
CO Enrique Chavez 4:22-cr-00104-YGR Pleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prison
CO Andrew Jones 4:23-cr-00212-YGR Pleaded guilty on Aug.17, 2023; sentenced to 96 months in prison
CO Nakie Nunley 4:23-cr-00213-YGR Pleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2023; sentenced to 72 months in prison
CO Jeffrey Wilson 4:25-cr-00180-YGR Pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentenced to 52 months in prison
CO Lawrence Gacad 4:25-cr-00181-YGR Pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentenced to one year of home confinement
DHO David Perez 4:26-cr-00464-YGR Pleaded guilty on Oct. 28, 2026; sentencing scheduled for March 25, 2027

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Amala James, Analisse Iniguez, and Aryan Sawant.  The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ OIG and the FBI.

Case No. 4:26-CR-00464-YGR

Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Two men acting as agents of China sentenced to 30 months in prison

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Defendants facilitated secret cash payments using Livermore drop box targeting U.S. military personnel for China’s Ministry of State Security

The FBI San Francisco Field Office was assisted by FBI’s Portland, Houston and San Diego Field Offices, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service

By William Elwood, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were sentenced today to federal prison for conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government and acting as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General.  Liren “Ryan” Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, were each sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar.  The defendants agreed to operate under the direction and control of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), carrying out clandestine intelligence activities in the United States that included facilitating secret “dead drop” cash payments in exchange for information related to the national security of the United States, gathering information about U.S. military personnel and installations, and assisting efforts to recruit potential intelligence assets from within the U.S. military.

“These defendants were directed by a foreign intelligence service to gather information about the U.S. military in the hopes of undermining our national security.  This office and our federal law enforcement partners stand watch day and night to prevent our adversaries from doing just that, and we will continue to do so,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “There are many nations around the world that wish this country ill.  And today’s sentences should demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable anyone who poses a similar threat to our nation.”

According to court documents, Lai and Chen began acting as agents of the MSS no later than May 2021.  The MSS is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence service, responsible for conducting foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations.  Lai recruited Chen into the scheme and initially served as an intermediary between Chen and MSS intelligence officers.  Chen subsequently received assignments directly from MSS officers.

As detailed in the government’s sentencing memorandum, Lai and Chen facilitated a clandestine cash payment of approximately $10,000 in January 2022.  While the defendants were in the PRC, they coordinated with individuals in the United States to leave a backpack containing the cash in a locker at a recreational facility in Livermore, California.  Such arrangements, known as “dead drops,” allow intelligence operatives to transfer money or information without directly meeting the intended recipient.

The defendants’ illegal activities extended beyond facilitating covert payments on behalf of the MSS.  Beginning in 2022, Chen gathered information about U.S. military installations and personnel at the direction of Lai and MSS intelligence officers.  These activities included obtaining photographs of Navy Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, and photographs and videos of military recruits and active-duty sailors inside a Navy recruiting station in Southern California.  Chen also collected personal identifying information about a U.S. Navy employee and maintained detailed biographical information about military personnel who were potential intelligence targets.

In March 2023, Lai traveled to the U.S. and delivered a cell phone to Chen for covert communications with the MSS referred to by Chen as a “state secret.”  Chen later traveled to China in 2024 and 2025, where he met with MSS officers and received additional assignments concerning U.S. service members.

In April 2025, Lai again traveled from China to the U.S. to carry out assignments for the MSS.  The following month, the MSS directed him to travel to Phoenix to facilitate another clandestine cash payment of approximately $20,000 in furtherance of its intelligence operations.

Lai and Chen were arrested on June 27, 2025, during a coordinated Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) counterintelligence and law enforcement operation.  A federal grand jury in the Northern District of California returned an indictment on July 1, 2025, charging both defendants with conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and act as agents of a foreign government without prior notification, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951.

Lai pleaded guilty to both offenses on December 12, 2025.  Chen pleaded guilty to both offenses on February 20, 2026.

The FBI San Francisco Field Office led the investigation, with assistance from the FBI’s Portland, Houston and San Diego Field Offices, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The National Security, Cyber & Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section handled the prosecution of the case.  Significant operational support and assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Texas, and the Southern District of California.

Case No. 4:25-cr-00186-JST

11 foreign nationals arrested in California on federal charges alleging they Illegally registered and voted in U.S. elections

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28 charged in statewide Operation Protect the Vote, five in Bay Area

By Ciaran McEvoy, PIO, U.S. Attorney’s Office Central District of California

LOS ANGELES – Federal law enforcement throughout California today arrested 11 foreign nationals living in the United States who are charged in criminal complaints with federal crimes, including that they fraudulently registered to vote in U.S. elections, electoral contests in which most of them cast illegal and fraudulently obtained ballots.

A total of 28 people were charged statewide, 21 actually voted in elections and 11 were arrested today. Law enforcement is seeking the other individuals or have been summoned.

Today’s arrests are part of “Operation Protect the Vote” – a coordinated effort among all four California-based United States Attorney’s Offices to combat and root out fraud in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity.

Source: republicanpollworkers.com

All 28 foreign nationals charged are lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or “green card” holders. Although LPRs have legal immigration status in the United States, they are not U.S. citizens and are not permitted to vote in U.S. elections.

The criminal charges include making false statements in a naturalization application and some of the defendants also are charged with fraudulent voter registration. Both charges are felonies that carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The defendants arrested today are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court. No pleas will be taken today.

On October 13, the federal government provided a list of these individuals to California to ensure that their vote-by-mail ballots were set aside until these individuals’ citizenship status could be confirmed. California declined to assist the federal government in setting aside their ballots, prompting a lawsuit by the United States that seeks a court order to prevent the unlawful dilution of American citizens’ votes and to uphold the integrity of our elections.

“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. “Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week. California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk. California must verify the citizenship of those more than 20,000 registrants before mail-in ballots are counted.”

“Today’s arrests prove what we have been saying,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “California is mailing ballots to noncitizens, and they are refusing to comply with federal law, which makes it a crime for noncitizens to vote. The voting rights of American citizens must be protected.”

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to protecting the integrity of our nation’s electoral process by investigating allegations of criminal conduct that undermine public confidence in our elections,” said HSI Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. “Working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue those who knowingly violate federal law, while ensuring that every investigation is conducted fairly, thoroughly, and consistent with due process.”

According to court documents, the defendants knowingly and willfully lied under oath in their voter registration applications that they were U.S. citizens to be permitted to vote in California. Their fraudulent voter registration applications were approved, and, in many cases, the defendants illegally voted in recent U.S. elections. They subsequently lied in their paperwork to become naturalized U.S. citizens that they had never claimed U.S. citizenship, nor had they registered to vote or voted in U.S. elections.

Broken down by jurisdiction, the following defendants are charged in today’s takedown:

Central District of California

All the following defendants below in this jurisdiction face felony charges, including false statements in a naturalization application:

  • Omar Alexander Muñoz, 72, a Belizean national living in Commerce, fraudulently registered to vote in September 2019, claiming his was a U.S. citizen, then voted in U.S. elections in 2020, twice in 2022, and in 2024. He also lied on his application to become a naturalized U.S. citizen when he falsely stated under oath to have never claimed to be a U.S. citizen.
  • Amandeep Kaur, 30, an Indian national living in Rancho Palos Verdes and who is seeking to become a U.S. citizen, fraudulently registered to vote in December 2022 and voted in the November 2024 U.S. election.
  • Ana Domínguez, 60, a Salvadoran national living in Long Beach, fraudulently registered to vote in July 2006 and lied in her naturalization paperwork in March 2026.
  • Axel Giovani Prera García, 46, a Guatemalan national and Pico Rivera resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2002 and 2005, and lied in his naturalization paperwork in June 2025.
  • Flavio Alejandro Zúñiga, 43, a Mexico national and La Puente resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2003 and lied in his naturalization paperwork in February 2026.
  • Butleng Taing, 43, a Cambodian national living in Long Beach, fraudulently registered to vote in July 2021, voted in the 2022 and 2024 U.S. elections, and lied on his naturalization paperwork in August 2025.
  • Carlos Antonio Galeas, 54, a Honduran national and West Covina resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2012 and 2016, then lied in his naturalization paperwork in September 2018.
  • Ernest Gutiérrez Ruvalcaba, 57, a Mexican national living in Wilmington, fraudulently registered to vote in February 2024 and voted one month later.
  • Jesús Narez-Madrigal, 52, a Mexican national living in Carson, fraudulently registered to vote in 2014, voted in the 2024 U.S. general election, and lied in his naturalization paperwork in June 2024.
  • José Antonio Bañuelos-Díaz, 42, a Mexican national and West Adams resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2007 and lied on his naturalization paperwork in March 2025.
  • Muhammad Khan, 50, a Pakistani national and Anaheim resident, submitted a provisional ballot in 2020 and lied on his naturalization paperwork five years later.
  • Rouzbeh Seyamaknejad, 63, a Canadian national and Rancho Palos Verdes resident, fraudulently registered to vote in December 2018, lied in his naturalization application in January 2024, and voted in the November 2024 U.S. election.
  • Sulema de León, 35, a Mexican national and Long Beach resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2013, lied on her naturalization application in 2019, and voted in the November 2020 U.S. general election.

Eastern District of California

The following defendants are charged with voting by an alien in a federal election, a misdemeanor that carries a statutory maximum sentence of one year in federal prison:

  • Maricela Nazarín González, 43, a Mexican national living in Clovis, registered to vote in 2020, indicating that she was a U.S. citizen, and voted in elections in 2022, twice in 2024, and 2025.
  • Rony de Jesús Sicaja, 38, a Guatemalan national living in Fresno, fraudulently registered to vote in 2017, and voted in the June 2022 primary election and the November 2024 general election in the United States.
  • Camino Giles Jiménez, 51, a Mexican national living in Kerman, knowingly voted in three U.S. elections despite knowing he is a noncitizen, the most recent election being the June 2026 primary.
  • Juan Antonio Rivas García, 46, a Mexican national and Sacramento resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2018 and 2020, both times falsely asserting under oath that he was a U.S. citizen. Rivas voted in the 2022 and 2024 U.S. elections.
  • Giezell Viduya Adawag, 41, a Philippines national and Vacaville resident, fraudulently registered to vote the day of the November 2024 general election, falsely certified that she was a U.S. citizen, and voted in the election that day.
  • Kamlesh Navnitlal Shah, 67, an Indian national living in Sacramento, fraudulently registered to vote on the day of the November 2024 general election and voted that day. He is charged via information.

Northern District of California

The following defendants are charged with attempted procurement of naturalization contrary to law, false statement under oath in any matter relating to naturalization or citizenship, and voting by an alien:

  • Verónica Bullene, 43, a.k.a. “Verónica Hernández Martínez,” a Mexican national living in Petaluma, made false statements on her naturalization application that she had never claimed to be a U.S. citizen when, in fact, she did so under penalty of perjury to register to vote in 2022 and 2023 then voted in 2024.
  • David Shapiro, 41, a Georgian national living in San Jose, fraudulently registered to vote in 2024 and later voted in a U.S. election, and made false statements on his naturalization application that he had never claimed to be a U.S. citizen.
  • Moe Thida Lwin, 57, a Myanmar national and Daly City resident, fraudulently registered to vote in 2024 and then proceeded to illegally vote in a U.S. citizen. She made false statements on her naturalization paperwork as well.
  • Manakotau Mataele Finau, 61, a Tongan national and Hayward resident, fraudulently registered to vote in the 2024 election then vote, then lied about it in naturalization paperwork.
  • Maribel del Carmen Garcés Barriga, 62, an Ecuadoran national and San Francisco resident, made false statements in her naturalization paperwork that she never claimed U.S. citizenship and had never voted in a U.S. election or had registered to vote. In fact, Garcés fraudulently registered to vote in 2024 and proceeded to vote in a U.S. election.

Southern District of California

The following defendants are charged with false claim to citizenship to vote, unlawful attempted procurement of naturalization, and false statement under oath in matter relating to naturalization or citizenship:

  • José Probitsado Amaro, 51, a citizen of the Philippines living in National City, fraudulently registered to vote by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. He then cast a ballot in the November 2024 general election and made false statements during his naturalization interview, denying that he had ever claimed U.S. citizenship and misrepresenting his voting history.
  • Jennifer Jung, 31, a Canadian national living in San Diego, fraudulently registered to vote by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. She then cast a ballot in the November 2024 general election and made false statements during her naturalization interview, denying that she had ever claimed U.S. citizenship and misrepresenting her voting history.
  • Erick Ronaldo Soto Mendizábal, 64, a citizen of Guatemala and former Oceanside resident now living in Moreno Valley, fraudulently registered to vote by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. He then cast a ballot in the November 2024 general election and made false statements in his naturalization application, denying that he had ever claimed U.S. citizenship and misrepresenting his voting history.
  • Pamele Arbués Line, 56, a citizen of the Philippines living in Escondido, registered to vote, cast a ballot in the November 2024 general election, and made false statements in her naturalization interview, denying that she had ever claimed U.S. citizenship and misrepresenting her voting history.

Criminal complaints and informations merely contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating these matters in the Central District of California. HSI and the FBI are investigating these matters in the Eastern and Northern Districts of California. HSI, the FBI, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services are investigating the matters in the Southern District of California.

Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Wheat and Minjae Kim of the Orange County Office are prosecuting the Central District of California cases. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Khasigian and Joshua Banister are prosecuting the Eastern District of California cases. Special Assistant United States Attorney Roger Dinh is prosecuting the Northern District of California cases.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Suspicious envelope sent to Congressman DeSaulnier’s Walnut Creek District Office

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Rep. DeSaulnier and Sen. Padilla. Official photos.

One of many mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide including CA U.S. Senator Padilla

By Mairead Glowacki, Communications Director, Office of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

Walnut Creek, CA – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) issued the following statement after a suspicious envelope was received in his Walnut Creek district office Friday afternoon, Oct. 16, 2026.

“Following reports from U.S. Capitol Police of identical suspicious envelopes containing threatening letters and a white powdery substance that were delivered to other Congressional district offices across the nation, a member of our team identified a letter matching the description and return address, immediately secured the envelope without opening it, and called local law enforcement and U.S. Capitol Police.

Threats and political violence seem to have reached a fever pitch in our country, and I urge my fellow Americans to stand united against such attempts at undermining our democracy.

My priority remains the safety and security of my team, and I am thankful for the quick and decisive response. We remain committed to serving CA-10 residents and will not be deterred from this important work by threats.”

According to an AP news report, “Federal authorities are investigating letters with ‘suspicious substances’ that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as ‘potentially hazardous.’

“The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but ‘it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.’ Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said the Postal Service intercepted a suspicious package before it reached his office.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Multi-agency Internet Crimes Against Children operation ends with five men arrested

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A child predator was arrested using drone technology during a recent ICAC operation. Photo & video screenshot: Walnut Creek PD

They came to meet a child. They met Walnut Creek PD instead.

One each from Concord, Antioch, Walnut Creek, Marin County & visiting from Germany

By Walnut Creek Police Department

The Walnut Creek Police Department recently hosted a multi-agency operation with the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, targeting adults who used social media to target children for sexual exploitation. Five adults traveled to Walnut Creek believing they were meeting a child. All now face charges including attempted lewd acts with a minor (PC 664/288(a)), contacting a minor to commit a sex offense (PC 288.3(a)), and arranging to meet a minor for sex (PC 288.4(b)).

5 arrests:

  • Andrew Garcia, 32, Concord
  • Billie Ray Breland, 29, Antioch (born 02/12/1997)
  • Rudolf Naused Robl, 42, visiting from Germany (born 07/04/1984)
  • Jacek Markiewicz, 67, Walnut Creek, also charged with attempted kidnapping
  • Taesu Park, 36, Marin County

Photos: Walnut Creek PD

The ICAC Task Force exists to identify predators before a real child is harmed, combining investigations, training, and victim support across our region. Operations like this one are the result of that work.

Thank you to our partnering agencies for their work on this operation: Contra Costa County Sheriff, Contra Costa County District Attorney, FBI San Francisco, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Contra Costa County Probation Department, Moraga, Brentwood, San Ramon, Concord, Hercules, Pleasant Hill, Oakley and Menlo Park Police Departments, Contra Costa County MCTF, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office and Marin County DA.

Child predators arrested in Walnut Creek with the help of Contra Costa Sheriff’s Deputies. Photos: Walnut Creek PD

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 11-inch tall, 237-pound Breland is Hispanic, was arrested on July 23rd and is being held in a Custody Alternative Facility on $50,000 bail. He’s also listed as White and as of Aug. 3, 2026, at 10:25 AM, he was released to Off Grounds Unsupervised Custody.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 200-pound Robl is Hispanic, but also listed as White, was arrested on July 26, is being held in the West Re-Entry Treatment and Housing facility on $475,000 bail. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 28 at 8:30 AM in Martinez Superior Court Department 5.

According to localcrimenews.com, Park is a resident of Richmond and was charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted lewd acts with a child, attempting to contact a minor with intent to commit an offense, distributing or sending harmful matter to a minor by any means, and 288.4(A)(2) – Prior Conviction Enhancement. Every person who violates this subdivision after a prior conviction for an offense listed in subdivision (c) of Section 290, he Sex Offender Registration Act, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Over $900K scammed from City of Pittsburg in phishing attack

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Investigation, recovery effort results in return of almost $700K

Suspect based in Nigeria

By Toni Baldazo, City of Pittsburg Community Engagement Officer

The City of Pittsburg is reporting a February 2026 phishing incident that resulted in a single unauthorized ACH payment totaling $913,839.81 being sent to a fraudulent account spoofing as a known City vendor. The incident occurred on February 12, 2026, and was identified by City staff on February 17, 2026, prompting immediate action. The City informed the Pittsburg Police Department who expanded the response team to include the County of Contra Costa and Federal Bureau of Investigations.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, phishing is when scammers use email or text messages to try to trick people into giving them personal and financial information to steal passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers. They are then able access to email, bank and other accounts.

“The instant this incident was identified as fraudulent by City staff, the City’s Police Department acted quickly and immediately froze the account to which the funds were electronically wired,” said Pittsburg Police Chief Phil Galer. “Given the nature of this cybercrime, we contacted related agencies and the FBI to tap all available resources.”

The swift action of the Pittsburg Police Department resulted in the initial recovery of $696,241.00 dollars.  The City is pursuing insurance coverage payment for the remaining $217,598.00, through its cyber and crime insurance policies. The investigation involved several sensitive and intricate components, requiring a number of complex investigative steps over a period of time, to maximize the recovery of funds and to seek identification of the perpetrators.  It included 18 search warrants involving 116 accounts across major technology companies, financial institutions and telecommunications providers. Evidence identified the primary overseas suspect responsible for compromising the City’s email system is based in Nigeria with at least two criminally affiliated U.S.-based suspects. The investigation remains active as the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have accepted the case for continued investigation domestically and overseas.

“The Pittsburg Police Department remains committed to pursuing every available lead and ensuring the highest level of protection for our city operations,” Chief Galer added.

While the investigation is ongoing with the FBI and related agency partners, it has now reached a point where public disclosure will not compromise the investigation.

In response to the incident, the City immediately implemented new processes to further strengthen internal controls related to financial processes. This includes improvements to digital and human procedures including ACH payment verification processes, and controls within financial workflows, as well as modifications to IT staffing. These enhanced measures reflect significant internal analysis and reinforce the City’s commitment to strong cybersecurity practices that protect public resources.

“Sadly, Pittsburg has joined a long list of public agencies successfully targeted by international crime rings with cyber-based financial crimes. This crime is both upsetting and a hard lesson for how we can improve our security. I share the community’s disappointment that criminals were able to exploit our systems,” said Mayor Dionne Adams. “While this was a difficult moment, the City acted immediately to recover as much of the stolen funds as possible and tightened cybersecurity measures and procedures. I thank Pittsburg PD for their swift action and the law enforcement agency partners that helped us throughout this process.”

The city encourages residents and partners to remain vigilant about cybersecurity threats. City leadership will continue to evolve its internal systems in response to the expanding threats of cybercrime attacks to safeguard public funds and operations.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

18-year-old Martinez man charged with attempted enticement, coercion of a minor

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Joel Lawrence Benitzhar faces maximum sentence of life in prison, $250,000 fine

By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California

OAKLAND – A criminal complaint was unsealed on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, charging Joel Lawrence Benitzhar with the federal crime of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor victim to engage in illegal sexual conduct.  Benitzhar was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning.

According to the criminal complaint and court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip from a popular social media platform that an account, later determined to be associated with Benitzhar, 18, of Martinez, California, contained possible enticement and coercion of at least nine potential minor victims.

The complaint alleges that in chat messages with Minor Victim 1, Benitzhar claimed to have “traded CP” (i.e., child pornography), had sexual intercourse with the minor victim, and arranged to meet up with the minor victim in January 2025.  Benitzhar is also alleged to have messaged another social media user that he met with a 14-year-old girl in real life.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Brannigan made the announcement.

Benitzhar is currently in federal custody.  Benitzhar was next scheduled to appeare in district court on Sept. 16, 2025, for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Kang.

A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the charge of attempted enticement and coercion of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly I. Volkar is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Yenni Weinberg.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the FBI, HSI, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and the Walnut Creek Police Department, with assistance from the Martinez Police Department.

Anyone who has information relevant to this case can report it by contacting the FBI at (415) 553-7400 or tips.fbi.gov.

IED used in early morning San Ramon Target store ATM burglary

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FBI called in, suspect(s) sought

By San Ramon Police Department

On Sunday, July 20, 2025, at 2:19 AM, Officers from the San Ramon Police Department responded to a commercial burglary at Target, 2610 Bishop Drive. Upon their arrival, they discovered an improvised explosive device had been used to gain entry to an ATM machine.  No one was injured due to the explosion, but damage was sustained to a portion of the store’s interiors near the eastern public entrance.

Due to the nature of this investigation, the FBI was contacted, and they responded to the crime scene. The FBI processed the crime scene for the remainder of the day.

There was no immediate danger to the community, and we are thankful no innocent bystanders were injured. The San Ramon Police Department is working with the FBI on this investigation, and we ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Detective Hugh Cotton at mailto:hcotton@sanramon.ca.gov.

The San Ramon Police Department would like to formally thank the San Francisco FBI office for their assistance with this investigation.

FBI offers $25K reward for help ID’ing female suspect in Concord assault, theft

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Source: FBI

By Federal Bureau of Investigation

The unknown suspect wanted for assault on a federal officer in Concord, CA June 10, 2025. Photo: FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Francisco Field Office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the individual responsible for assaulting federal officers and the theft of government property on June 10, 2025, in Concord, California. The individual is described as a female who was wearing a black hoodie at the time.  She is believed to be the individual who took the FBI Special Agent’s badge. The FBI offers a reward of up to $25,000.

Submit a Tip:

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

See video that depicts an unknown female wearing a black hoodie and black mask assaulting a federal officer in Concord, California, on June 10, 2025.

21-year-old Brentwood man arrested for possession of 3D-printed machine gun conversion device

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Faces up to 10 years in prison, $250,000 fine; detention hearing on St. Patrick’s Day

By U.S. Attorney – Northern District of California

OAKLAND – A Brentwood man has been charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun conversion device. Noah Kanaye Bauer, 21 (born 12/13/2003), was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning.

According to the criminal complaint and court documents unsealed on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, on Sept. 6, 2024, officers with the Brentwood Police Department (BPD) responded to a call regarding an individual with a firearm at a grocery store in Brentwood and found Bauer with a 3D printed Glock style firearm. Officers allegedly removed the firearm from the front of Bauer’s waistband and saw that there was no serial number on it. In a search of Bauer’s home after his arrest for carrying a concealed weapon, BPD officers found a 3D printing machine, three 3D printed pistol frames, and a 3D printed machine gun conversion device in Bauer’s room.

The complaint describes that machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are designed and created for the purpose of converting a semi-automatic Glock type pistol into a fully automatic machine gun. When BPD officers questioned Bauer on what the conversion devices were used for, Bauer allegedly stated, “to make it shoot faster.”

Bauer is next scheduled to appear in court on March 17, 2025, for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.

Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.

Bauer is charged with one count of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o). A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the BPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

According to a report by crimevoice.com, the incident occurred at the Raley’s grocery store on
Sand Creek Road. Bauer’s arrest in September 2024 prompted an FBI investigation of him conducted
by the domestic terrorism squad of the San Francisco field office.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, nine-inch tall, 145-pound Bauer is Hispanic and being held on no bail in the West County Detention Facility.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.