Contra Costa Herald

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

Owner of Concord landscaping company charged with two felonies for 2018 death of employee

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Had suspended contractor’s license at the time; death of Antioch man occurred in San Ramon

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney

Segundo Collazos. From
his Facebook page posted on April 26, 2019.

On Monday, March 1, 2021, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed a felony complaint against Segundo Collazos, the owner of Amazon’s Landscaping Company based out of Concord. (See Complaint Collazos February 2021)

The charges relate to the 2018 death of Manuel Peralta, then 68, of Antioch, California, who died while operating a rented tree stump grinder in San Ramon. At the time of the incident, defendant Segundo Collazos had a suspended license with the Contractors State License Board. The investigation began from the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety & Health Bureau of Investigations.

The first felony alleges that defendant Collazos permitted the victim Manuel Peralta to use a stump grinder in a manner contrary to manufacturer recommendations and to work in the danger zone of the cutting wheel, resulting in his death. The second felony alleges that Collazos failed to properly train Peralta on the proper and safe use of the stump grinder, also resulting in his death.

The District Attorney’s Office reminds homeowners to check that a contractor is currently licensed and insured before hiring them for residential construction work. Homeowners can check the validity of a license number on the Contractors’ State Licensing Board website or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752).

“When a Cal/OSHA investigation reveals evidence a worker’s serious injury or death involves criminal misconduct, our Bureau of Investigations Unit refers those cases to the local District Attorney’s Office for prosecution,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker. “We thank the Contra Costa County District Attorney for their work on this case. Employers must be made aware that disregarding the requirement to train and supervise workers using dangerous equipment can lead to tragedy and possible jail time.”

Deputy District Attorney Ryan Morris is prosecuting the case on behalf of the People. DDA Morris is assigned to our Office’s Special Operations Division.

Case information: People v. Segundo Collazos, Docket Number 01-195521-0.

Pinole Valley High senior Jermaine Gitana is 2021 Contra Costa County Poetry Out Loud Champion

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2021 Contra Costa County Poetry Out Loud Champion Jermaine Gitana. Graphic: AC5.org

Student from Deer Valley High in Antioch places second, San Ramon Valley High student places third

The Arts and Culture Commission is excited to announce Jermaine Gitana from Pinole Valley High School as our 2021 Poetry Out Loud Contra Costa County Champion! On February 11th, we held a Facebook Live Virtual Screening and Awards Ceremony. He was awarded a $200 cash prize and varsity jacket. (See his introduction and winning performance at approximately the 20:35 mark of the competition video)

Esmeralda Noyola from Deer Valley High School (Antioch) won second place and was awarded a $150 prize. Tessa Brubaker from San Ramon Valley High School took third place and was awarded a $100 prize. The County Finals included impressive high school champions Patricia May Villanueva of Prospects High School (Antioch), Michael Miralles of John Henry High School (Richmond), Kyla Erika Nano of Concord High School, and Kaleigh Thurman of College Park High School (Pleasant Hill).

“I am a 17-year-old senior at Pinole Valley High who is part Black and Filipino,” said Gitana. “I enjoy playing instruments, making music, swimming, singing, and most of all reciting poetry.”

His performances of the poems Written By Himself by Gregory Pardlo and Piano by D. H. Lawrence proved to be a winning combination! On March 11th, Jermaine will compete in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals where students recite 3 poems. On March 12th, the California State Winner will be announced on California Arts Council email, internet, and social media. We are very proud of Jermaine!

Jermaine Gitana performance screenshot.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud provides free curriculum materials—all available online—including a poetry anthology, a comprehensive teacher’s guide, videos of student performances, lesson plans, and promotional and media resources.

Schools with students in the 2021 CCC finals.

All Contra Costa County high school students, grades 9-12, are invited to enter Poetry Out Loud. School winners advance to the County competition each February, then the State competition in March, and ultimately to the National Finals. The 2021 POL National Semifinals will take place on Sunday, May 2nd and the 2021 POL National Finals will take place on Thursday, May 27th and will be held virtually in lieu of holding them on-site in Washington D.C. as previously planned. Both will be video submission-based competitions and will be streamed on arts.gov.

Every Contra Costa County high school (public, private, parochial, independent, alternative, continuation, court, charter and home schools), non-profit organizations, and libraries are encouraged to participate. Students don’t enter the POL competition directly, but through their high schools or a school POL liaison such as a teacher, librarian, school staff, or organization member.

“Last August, I became the new Managing Director and was first introduced to the amazing Poetry Out Loud program,” said Jenny Balisle, Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County Managing Director. “Our incredible team of Donté Clark (Poetry Out Loud Coordinator), Brennan DeFrisco (Poetry Out Loud Student Coach and Assistant Coordinator), and Antonio Tamayo (Poetry Out Loud Digital Content and Technical Assistant) worked together to transition the program online. The Virtual Screening and Awards Ceremony was an evening of many firsts for the Arts and Culture Commission: first Facebook Live event for a signature art program, first ASL interpreters for a live virtual event, and first Land Acknowledgement. Despite the pandemic, we were determined to uplift, support, and celebrate Contra Costa County youth! I’m proud of what we accomplished but most of all- very proud of the resilience and grace of our youth.”

To watch all the competitors in the Virtual Screening and Awards Ceremony please visit here.

Poetry Out Loud is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, California Arts Council, and Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County (AC5).

AC5 is dedicated to advancing the arts in a way that promotes communication, education, appreciation and collaboration throughout Contra Costa County so that we may grow creatively as a community that preserves and celebrates our diverse cultural expression.

Please visit www.ac5.org for more information and sign up on our email list. We welcome your participation and hope to see you next year!

San Ramon’s California High wins Contra Costa County High School Mock Trial Championship, again

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Members of the Cal High Mock Trial Team and coaches flash the number four following their repeat victory during the virtual mock trial Tuesday night. Photo from The Californian Twitter feed.

Their fourth win in a row; Art and Journalism Contest winners also from Cal High

Held virtually, this year 17 schools and 300 students participated;

Acalanes High placed 2nd, Miramonte High 3rd and Hercules High 4th

The 40th Annual Contra Costa County High School Mock Trials were held virtually, this year from January 26 through the final round on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The team from California High School of San Ramon won their fourth straight championship, beating Acalanes High of Lafayette in the final round. California High team played the role of the Prosecution while the Acalanes team fulfilled the role of the Defense. The match was judged and scored by former judge and current Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton, along with five Bay Area attorneys, serving as Mock Trial scorers.

Also, noteworthy, Miramonte High (Orinda) defeated Hercules High (Hercules) during the same evening’s consolation match. This trial was judged and scored by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Steve Austin, along with five attorney scorers.

The 2021 top four teams were ranked in this order: 1) California High, 2) Acalanes High, 3) Miramonte High, 4) Hercules High. California High has now won four consecutive championships.

The Mock Trials Awards Ceremony were also held virtually, on Thursday, Feb. 18. Opening the event, Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey gave the welcome and message to the attendees, followed by remarks made by Contra Costa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Rebecca Hardie, and the Mock Trial coaches presented their Coaches Awards to their exceptional-performing students. This was followed by the announcement of individual awards that were recorded by the volunteer Mock Trial judges and attorney scorers during the four opening preliminary rounds. The ceremony concluded with naming of this year’s championship team from Cal High. (Video begins at the 6:45 mark)

“As like numerous other counties in California, this was a challenging year for our High School Mock Trial program,” said Superintendent Mackey. “Due to COVID-19, this was the first time in 40 years that we were not able to hold our trials in one of the Martinez courthouses, but instead held the competitions via Zoom Meetings. This year’s Mock Trial success was because of a group effort between our volunteer judges and attorneys and our staff, as well as the patient and dedicated team coaches and their determined students. Congratulations to all of you!”

Directed by their teaching coach, Brian Barr, California High will now represent Contra Costa County at the California State Mock Trial competition, March 18-22. The California state finalist team will then compete in the National Mock Trial Competition, held May 13-15.

Courtroom art by winner Michelle Nguyen of California High School.

Art Contest

In the Courtroom Art Contest, students participated as courtroom artists, a companion program to Mock Trials. As courtroom artists, students accompanied their Mock Trial teams and sketched courtroom scenes that were later judged by a team of art judges. The winner was Michelle Nguyen from California High School and will represent Contra Costa County at the state finals.

Journalism Contest

In the Courtroom Journalism Contest, participating students were given an opportunity to report on a Mock Trial from the perspective of a journalist. As courtroom reporters, students accompanied their school’s Mock Trial teams to the preliminary rounds of the competition. Courtroom reporters then wrote and submitted one 500-word news article on the trial they attended. Articles were judged by a panel of specialists. The winner, Nicholas Harvey, also from California High, will represent Contra Costa County at the state finals. Read  his winning article.

The honored guest speaker, Judge Hardie, told the audience, “Congratulations to all of the students, teachers, and coaches for a wonderful competition. I’m so pleased that we didn’t let COVID-19 get in the way of our historic and annual tradition. We are so proud of our longstanding partnership with the Mock Trial program. Here at the county’s Superior Court, Mock Trials is one of our favorite times of the year. And, I heard so many wonderful stories from this year’s volunteering judges. They all agreed about how seamless the trials went this year, especially adapting the competition from our physical courtrooms to virtual courtrooms. The students did not miss a beat!

Coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) and sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Mock Trial is an academic event provided for high school students. The hands-on educational program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society.

This year’s case, People v. Croddy, is the trial of Lee Croddy who hosts a popular YouTube channel called The Right Choice of News (RCN). Croddy has been charged with two counts: (1) aiding and abetting in the commission of first-degree burglary by another, and (2) accessory after the fact. This case will also feature a pre-trial argument on the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and as set forth in Miranda v. Arizona.

Since the beginning of the school year, teams of high school students worked with teacher coaches and volunteer coaches to prepare their version of the criminal case, from both the prosecution and defense perspectives. Students assumed the roles of trial attorneys, pre-trial motion attorneys, witnesses, clerks, bailiffs, artists, and court journalists. During the Zoom Meetings, Mock Trial judges and attorneys scored the students’ presentations and provided immediate feedback.

This year, there were 18 teams from the following 19 Contra Costa County high schools competed: Acalanes High (Lafayette), Alhambra High (Martinez), California High (San Ramon), Campolindo High (Moraga), Carondelet High (Concord), De La Salle (Concord), De Anza High (Richmond), De La Salle (Concord), Deer Valley Law Academy (Antioch), Dougherty Valley High (San Ramon), El Cerrito High (El Cerrito), Hercules High (Hercules), Heritage High (Brentwood), Kennedy High (Richmond), Las Lomas High (Walnut Creek), Miramonte High (Orinda), Monte Vista High (Danville), Richmond High (Richmond). *Richmond High and Kennedy High combine students for one team.

Approximately 60 Bay Area practicing and retired attorneys and sworn judges volunteered their time and expertise to serve as Mock Trial attorney scorers and judges. These volunteers represented judges from the Contra Costa County Superior Courts, and attorney scorers included attorneys from Bay Area county District Attorney and Public Defender offices, the State Attorney General’s Office, and the California Department of Justice. Also serving as attorney scorers, were non-profit, public, private, and corporate attorneys. Because this year’s competition was virtual, there were attorneys volunteering from their offices in Los Angeles; San Diego; Truckee; and Olympia, Washington. In addition, senior students from two Bay Area law schools also lent a hand in scoring.

For all the team and individual results, visit the Contra Costa County Office of Education’s Mock Trial results web page. #cocomocktrial

In 1977, the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) introduced the concept of mock trials to the Los Angeles schools. In 1980, the program expanded to the state level. The California Mock Trial Program currently involves more than 36 counties and over 8,000 student participants from more than 400 teams. Approximately 1,500 attorney volunteers serve as team coaches and scorers, and 500 Municipal, Superior, and Appellate Court judges preside over the trials.

San Ramon business one of 10 finalists for outdoor industry mentoring program needs your vote

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Time is running out to vote for San Ramon’s own Pathloom to be selected for Walmart-owned Moosejaw’s Outdoor Acceleration program, aimed at supporting small businesses in the outdoor industry. Public voting will run through February 26th, and takes place at Moosejaw.com/accelerator.

The winning business will win an 8-week mentoring program guided by ICELab, product launch on Moosejaw.com and in Moosejaw stores, membership to Camber Outdoors, free legal consultation from Holland & Hart LLP, and a feature article on GearJunkie.

San Ramon’s own Pathloom has been chosen as one of 10 finalists for Moosejaw’s Outdoor Acceleration program, aimed at supporting small businesses in the outdoor industry. This year, the program has placed additional emphasis on supporting underrepresented groups in the outdoor industry.

Founded by Ankit Jain, who has made several trips to the Himalayas, he and his team have developed an all-in-one app to make planning for camping, hiking and other outdoor recreation trips as easy as booking a traditional vacation. According to the company’s website, their “mission is to get more people outdoors, more often. We believe everyone should have access to the benefits nature has to offer and that complicated trip planning should not prevent anybody from doing so, which is why Pathloom was created.”

Now it’s up to people who live in the San Ramon area to help Pathloom cross the finish line! Public voting will run through February 26th and will take place at Moosejaw.com/accelerator. Neighbors, friends and customers are encouraged to vote for their favorite company finalist!

Four winners will be selected to have their product launched in Moosejaw stores and on Moosejaw.com. These winners will also take part in an eight-week mentoring program with Moosejaw, will be featured in an article on GearJunkie and receive other legal and business support. You can find out about all the finalists here.

Pathloom aims to make a profound impact in getting more people outdoors who would otherwise not be able or encouraged to do so. They’ve developed an all-in-one app to make planning for camping, hiking and other outdoor recreation trips as easy as booking a traditional vacation. It was founded by Ankit Jain who represents an underrepresented group in the outdoor industry – people of color. You can find out more about the company here.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Mangia!!!! Tips for Change Italian dinner fundraiser for Meals on Wheels Jan. 20

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On January 20th, you can enjoy a fabulous Italian meal and support both Meals on Wheels Diablo Region and a local restaurant at the same time!  Tips for Change is a generous program offered by Gianni’s Italian Bistro in San Ramon to help support local nonprofits.

Here’s how it works – MOW Diablo Region will receive all tips and 10% of sales on take-out orders, but meals must be preordered by Tuesday, January 19 at 6:00 PM.  To place an order, go to www.giannissanramon.com or call 925-820-6969. For online orders, click the “order online” button, then click on deliver or pick-up (delivery is limited).  Be sure to click on the appropriate date – Wednesday, Jan. 20th, then choose your menu items (wine and cocktails are also available for take-out) and your desired time for pick-up at Gianni’s Italian Bistro, 2065 San Ramon Valley Boulevard, San Ramon.

Meals on Wheels Diablo Region is the only meals on wheels that delivers both meals and services in the entire county.  Since March, the agency has seen a 40% increase in clients needing delivered meals, but with the support of the community, no senior has missed a delivered meal or a needed life-improving service.  Participating in Tips for Change is a win-win-win. It helps support a local restaurant, helps support Meals on Wheels Diablo Region and funds raised impacts the lives of vulnerable seniors.

Orders can be placed as early as today! Preorders must be in no later than Tuesday, January 19 at 6:00 PM for pick-up on Wednesday!

San Ramon Police ID, seek public’s help locating suspect in NYE shooting

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Terence “Terene” Brown. Photo: SRPD

By San Ramon Police Department

San Ramon PD needs your assistance.

On New Year’s Eve San Ramon PD officers responded to the 100 block of Amberstone Lane for a shooting.

The victim was life flighted to a local hospital and is in stable condition.

The suspect was identified as 19-year-old San Ramon resident Terence “Terene” Brown who fled the location. Brown is wanted for assault with a deadly weapon. The firearm has not been accounted for.

If you have any information about Brown’s whereabouts please contact SRPD at 925.973.2779 or 9-1-1.

 

Contra Costa Arts and Cultural Commission seeks applicants for opening in Supervisorial District 3

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Do you live in Contra Costa County Supervisorial District 3? It includes Bethel Island, Blackhawk, Byron, Diablo, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, Antioch, Brentwood, and Oakley. If so, we have an opening on the Arts and Cultural Commission of Contra Costa County for which you can apply!

APPLY HERE

The Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County is dedicated to advancing the arts in a way that promotes communication, education, appreciation and collaboration throughout Contra Costa County so that we may grow creatively as a community that preserves and celebrates our diverse cultural expression.

The commission has 10 seats; five from each of the County’s Supervisorial Districts, four at-large and one alternate.

District Specific Seats:

Are recommended by the applicable District Supervisor and then approved by the Board of Supervisors.

What does a Commissioner do?

  • Support the functions of the Commission.
  • Give all meetings and other Commission activities a priority on his/her calendar.
  • Serve on and chair Commission committees and events.
  • Keep current with all facts and information upon which the Commission must base its collective opinions and decisions.
  • Participate in strategic planning and implementation of arts programming.
  • Be an ambassador and proponent of the arts and the Commission in Contra Costa County and engage people from all cultural and ethnic groups in the arts and in the work of the Commission.

Please apply today! Learn more at www.ac5.org

 

State’s oldest restaurant San Francisco’s Tadich Grill owned by Contra Costa resident reopening postponed

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Tadich Grill at 240 California Street in San Francisco. CFO Melissa Buich with her father, owner Mike Buich. Photos: TadichGrillSF.com and screenshot of KTVU Fox2 news report 4/9/20.

UPDATE: With the new health orders announced on Friday Oct. 30 by San Francisco Mayor London Breed that “San Francisco will temporarily pause most planned reopening efforts previously scheduled to resume on Tuesday, November 3rd”, reducing maximum capacity for indoor dining to 25%, Tadich Grill, for now, will not be reopening for indoor dining as was planned for Nov. 9th. In response to the new health order, the owners and management posted the following message on the restaurant’s website: “We are currently closed and will re-open when the Mayor of San Francisco allows a minimum of 50% indoor seating capacity. Thank you for hanging in there with us. We are eager to get back to serving you!” 

By Allen Payton

The oldest restaurant in California and west of the Mississippi, and the third oldest in the nation, Tadich Grill, first opened in San Francisco in 1849, the year of the Gold Rush. It was continuously run until forced to temporarily close, earlier this year due to the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. But the good news is according to owner and Alamo resident Mike Buich, the iconic eatery will be reopening on Monday, November 9.

That’s due to San Francisco being designated to be in the state’s health equity metric yellow, Minimal Tier 4 for community transmission of the virus, the least restrictive tier, as of October 20, according to the City and County of San Francisco Public Health Officer order.

“After seven months of forced closures, we are thrilled to be reopening our doors on Monday, November 9th,” Buich said. “While the pandemic has been devastating and challenging on many levels – for our customers, our employees, our business and our industry at large – we are excited to reconnect with our loyal following and help restore some life into downtown San Francisco.”

Tadich Grill’s Seafood Cioppino, Cosmopolitan Salad and Mesquite Broiled Salmon are just a few of the items offered at the historic restaurant. From TadichGrillSF.com.

Located, rather appropriately on California Street, the restaurant is widely known as San Francisco’s best seafood restaurant, with a broad selection of non-seafood offerings, such as steaks, soups (clam chowder, of course) and salads, as well. Their specialties include cioppino, monza, thermidor and branzino and fish entrees include salmon, petrale sole, sand dabs, halibut, swordfish and Chilean sea bass.

The historic restaurant, which features both table dining and a long bar counter, will be open Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturdays 5:00-9:00 p.m. and Sundays for private parties only, and will now offer reservations.

“We’ve taken the downtime to explore and launch reservations for the first time in 171 years, as well as adopt other safety precautions to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of all those who visit us at 240 California St.,” Buich shared about the restaurant that’s been in his family since 1928.

Tadich Grill offers table dining and a long bar counter, as well. Photos: TadichGrillSF.com and Instagram.com/TadichGrill.

Mike and his daughter, Melissa, the restaurant’s CFO, refused  to layoff any of their 35 employees for several months, according to a KTVU Fox2 interview they gave earlier this year. That was due to “the support from the Tadich community,” using a GoFundMe page to make up the lost wages, and through a loan from the PPP program, according to Melissa Buich.

However, in a July post on the restaurant’s Instagram page, the owners wrote, “It’s been over four months since we were first ordered to close our doors due to COVID-19. Since that time, we have been immensely grateful for the response of our loyal customers who have ordered takeout and nationwide delivery, purchased gift cards and merchandise online and donated through our Go Fund Me page to help us ride the wave as we chased the date for re-opening.”

“As you’re aware, that date continued to change and today we have no visibility into when that day will come. In parallel, the temporary relief from our PPP loan has dried up and without additional government aid, we’ve made the difficult decision to temporarily hit pause. Following the close of business this Friday, July 31st, we will temporarily suspend operations until we are able to re-open for indoor dining.”

Tadich’s owners committed to reopen once indoor dining was allowed.

“When that time finally comes, we will be eager to serve you your long-time favorites in a dining room optimized for your health and safety,” the owners posted. “We deeply appreciate your loyalty and support. Because of you, we have been able (to) navigate these unprecedented times until now, and because of you, we will come back stronger than ever to continue our 171 year run.”

Tadich Grill is located along one of San Francisco’s iconic cable car routes. Photo: TadichGrillSF.com

That time has finally arrived.

“We are sincerely appreciative of our customers who have supported us throughout this long journey and can’t wait to welcome each of you back with socially-distanced, open arms, a classic cocktail and a hearty meal,” said Mike Buich. “Though reduced capacity and a more selective menu may be new to all of us, we are committed to the same gold-standard quality and great time we’ve been providing for generations.”

To make your reservations via Tock for lunch or dinner at Tadich Grill click, here. To learn more about the restaurant, it’s food, staff and history, visit tadichgrillsf.com or once they’ve reopened, call (415) 391-1849.

Stockton man arrested in Blackhawk Sunday for attempted murder of Danville cops, Sheriff’s Deputy

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Tried to run them over with his car; held on $1.5 million bail

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Sunday afternoon at about 2 PM, an unknown person entered the Blackhawk Police Substation in the Blackhawk community and contacted a deputy sheriff there. The subject displayed erratic behavior and was asked to leave the community.  Due to the subject contact, Danville police responded to the substation to assist the deputy.

As the man was leaving in his car, he accelerated his vehicle rapidly and deliberately attempted to run down the officers and deputy. The suspect’s vehicle struck the deputy and a Danville officer. Both fell to the ground. A Danville Police Sergeant discharged his firearm, striking the vehicle, but not the suspect. The suspect fled in his vehicle.

The suspect and his vehicle were located about a mile away by responding deputies. He was apprehended after a struggle with deputies.

The deputy who was hit by the vehicle was treated and released from a local hospital. The officer was treated at the scene by paramedics.

The suspect has been identified as 25-year-old Eduardo Carrillo of Stockton. After being interviewed by detectives, he was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on three counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and a probation violation. He is being held in lieu of $1.5 million bail.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Mother and son from San Ramon convicted of $2 million insurance and tax fraud scheme

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Husband and father is wanted and believed to be in India; owners of defense contractor companies

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa County

Martinez, Calif. – Selina Singh (57-years-old) and Kabir Singh (30-years-old), a mother and son from San Ramon, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit insurance premium fraud and related felonies today, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Both defendants also admitted an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement for a loss exceeding $500,000 through a pattern of criminal activity. The crimes were committed through two businesses they owned and operated that did contract work for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The husband and father, Majinder Paul “MP” Singh, age 59, was vice president of the family business, and was also charged in November 2018 with multiple counts of workers’ compensation fraud, insurance fraud, laundering $1.5 million, as well as conspiracy. He has a warrant out for his arrest and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office believes he is in India.

Workers compensation coverage to protect employees from injury is mandatory in the State of California. Premium fraud creates unfair competition in dangerous industries, as law-abiding business owners are outbid by competitors that unlawfully evade the cost of coverage at the expense of their workers. Such fraud can also result in harm to public if it exposes the person or entity hiring the contractor to liability for the injury, or even to the unsuspecting employees themselves, as an injured worker may encounter a claim denial or delay in obtaining coverage for needed medical care if the employer’s false reporting of company operations causes the insurance company to question and investigate the employee’s claim of injury.

The investigation of this case started after an employee severed his thumb while working on a Bara Infoware, Inc. construction jobsite at Fort Hunter Liggett. The injured employee and his site safety supervisor reported to Monterey County District Attorney investigators that Selina Singh directed them to lie about the injury occurring on a Bara Infoware, Inc. jobsite and report it occurred while working for the family’s other company, Federal Solutions Group.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office determined the companies were headquartered in San Ramon, California and started a joint investigation with the relevant local and State agencies. Investigators determined that the defendants obtained government contracts, including construction contracts that required compliance with workers compensation laws. Defendants then used their companies hire, employ, and pay construction laborers, carpenters, painters, and other workers in order to complete construction work, even as they fraudulently misrepresented the construction payroll to insurance carriers in less dangerous industries such as clerical, and consulting, in order to lower their insurance rates.

Investigators located another injured employee that reported that Kabir Singh asked him not to report his injury and offered to pay his medical expenses instead of reporting the injury to company’s insurance and located a third company, Eagle Solutions, that was used first to move money between Bara Infoware, Inc. and Federal Solutions Group, and then eventually directly to obtain workers compensation policies for non-construction payroll while running construction jobsites. An audit by a forensic accountant at the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office concluded that the scheme evaded over $2 million dollars of insurance premiums that law abiding competitors would have had to pay in seven years, in addition to over $200,000 of evaded payroll tax owed to the State of California.

Selina Singh pled guilty to conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, insurance premium fraud, payroll tax fraud, and a white-collar crime enhancement. The maximum sentence for those charges is eleven years and eight months.

Kabir Singh pled guilty to conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, insurance premium fraud, and a white-collar crime enhancement. The maximum sentence for those charges is eleven years and eight months.

The Honorable Laurel Brady accepted the pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19 at 1:30 p.m. in Department 31 of the Contra Costa County Superior Court.

This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Insurance, Fraud Division and Employment Development Department, Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by DDA Jeremy L. Seymour. DDA Seymour is the Supervising Attorney in the Workers’ Compensation Unit for the DA’s Office.

Anyone with information about possible insurance fraud can report that information to the District Attorney’s Office via email at DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org.

Read more about the case, here.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.