Contra Costa Herald

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

Rally held in Richmond to protest council candidates’ contributions from coal storage company and allies

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About 35 people participated in the No Coal In Richmond rally on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Photo by David Sharples of ACCE.

Organized by No Coal in Richmond, other environmental groups and SEIU Local 1021

By Janet Johnson

A public rally was held Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. in front City Hall in Richmond to oppose the Terminal and allied groups’ attempts to buy seats on the Richmond City Council. It was attended by about 35 people. The Levin-Richmond Terminal Corporation has so far donated $25,000 to city council candidates – including Vinay Pimplé, Eleanor Thompson, and Ahmad Anderson – whom it hopes will vote to overturn the ordinance phasing out coal and petroleum coke storage and handling at the Terminal. In addition, the company gave the maximum allowable contribution directly to Anderson’s campaign. The current city council adopted the ordinance after a successful two-year campaign by No Coal in Richmond, health professionals, and other environmental and community groups. Now, the Levin-Richmond Terminal has joined developers and others in trying to buy seats on the Richmond City Council.

Election buying in Richmond is nothing new. The city has suffered for decades as big industries have poured money into campaigns for candidates who will support their interests, including Chevron’s unsuccessful attempt to buy 2014 city races. However, No Coal in Richmond and allies from Alliance of Californians for Community Action (ACCE Action) the Sunflower Alliance, Asian Pacific Environmental Network Action (APEN Action), Communities for a Better Environment Action (CBE Action), and SEIU Local 1021 are actively opposing this attempt to subvert the political process.

According to the No Coal in Richmond website: “Toxic dust from coal and petroleum coke (pet coke) is polluting our neighborhoods. Richmond CA residents living and working near the Levin-Richmond Terminal see this dust outside on our cars and windowsills. What we don’t see are the microscopic harmful substances going deep into our lungs. They’re in the air we breathe, in our homes, and where we work and play.

Richmond residents and workers cannot continue to be exposed to high levels of toxic coal and pet coke dust. We already suffer from elevated levels of asthma, heart disease, and other health problems caused by bad air quality.

To make Richmond a healthier place to live, we need to end the storage and handling of coal and pet coke at the Levin-Richmond Terminal.

The Richmond Coal Ordinance establishes a fair process, gradually phasing out coal and poisonous petroleum coke and relying on the city’s legal authority to protect us.”

 

 

Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office investigates death of inmate at local hospital following fight

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

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the death of inmate Levele Williams which occurred at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek on Thursday, September 24, 2020, at about 9:04 PM.

Earlier, on Wednesday, September 23, at about 7:20 PM, Williams was involved in a fight with other inmates at the Martinez Detention Facility (MDF). He was seen by Contra Costa Health Department medical staff at the facility.

At about 10 PM, Williams was transported to Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez after complaining of pain to his jaw. On Thursday, September 24, at about 2:15 AM, he was transported to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek where he later underwent surgery for a broken jaw.

Williams apparently suffered from complications during surgery and was later pronounced deceased while at the hospital.

32-year-old Williams of Oakland was arrested by the Pittsburg Police Depart-ment on September 9, 2020. He was booked into MDF on the following charges: as-sault with a deadly weapon (firearm), felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a load-ed firearm, and having a concealed weapon in his vehicle. In addition, there was a Ramey warrant for his arrest for murder and another warrant with charges that include domestic violence and making criminal threats.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600 or through Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Virtual Grand Opening ceremony for Richmond residential treatment, detox program Monday

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25 bed facility for people with substance use disorders 

WHAT: County leaders and health officials will hold a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 14 for the opening of the new Richmond Health & Wellness Center, a residential treatment and detox center for people with substance use disorders.

The Health & Wellness Center will primarily serve Medi-Cal eligible patients who live in Contra Costa County.

The facility, which is funded by Contra Costa Health Services through state and federal dollars and the implementation of the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System, will have 10 detox beds dedicated to safe withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, as well as 15 residential beds for longer-term treatment. It will be operated by Westcare, a private nonprofit organization and it has been made possible through the advocacy of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Advisory Board and people in recovery.

WHEN: The ribbon cutting and a virtual tour of the site will be held on Monday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. The center will open to clients on Sept. 16.

WHERE: The public can view the event online at WestCare’s YouTube channel. The facility itself is located at 208 23rd Street in Richmond.

Richmond man sentenced to six years in prison on child porn charges

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Followed by 20 years of supervised release

OAKLAND – John Vicencio Vinoya was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by twenty years of supervised release, for attempted receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.  The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr.

Vinoya, 48, of Richmond, California, pled guilty to the charge on September 30, 2019. According to the plea agreement, Vinoya admitted that, in July 2018, when he was 46 years old, he texted a girl that he knew to be fourteen years old.  When he learned that the minor was about to take a shower, he requested that she send him a “half body pic.”  Vinoya admitted that he hoped and intended that the minor would send him a naked photograph that would have constituted child pornography.

Vinoya further admitted that, two weeks later, he sent sexually explicit text messages to the minor’s cell phone.  He attempted to persuade and entice the minor to have sexual intercourse with him.  On August 2, 2018, Vinoya drove to the minor’s home at a time when he believed that her parents were out of town.  He brought condoms and lubricating oil with him to the meeting. He was stopped by law enforcement when he reached the minor’s home.

Vinoya was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 13, 2018.  He was initially charged with online enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).  He ultimately pled guilty to a violation of 18 U.S.C §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b), attempted receipt of child pornography.  Vinoya has been in custody since his arrest by officers of the El Cerrito Police Department on August 2, 2018.

Katherine Lloyd-Lovett is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske.  The prosecution is the result of the collaborative investigative efforts of the El Cerrito Police Department, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations HSI.

New COVID-19 Community Testing Hub opens Wednesday in Richmond

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West Contra Costa residents looking for fast, free COVID-19 testing will have a convenient new option beginning Wednesday, when Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) opens a new community testing hub at Richmond’s Civic Center Plaza.

The new testing site, in a parking lot with the entrance at the corner of 25th Street and Nevin Avenue, accepts appointments and walk-in patients. In September CCHS will add drive-through service, allowing the location to test as many as 400 people per day.

“Our testing program has already shown that communities of color, and specifically some neighborhoods in West County, are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer. “Accessible, timely testing is critical to reduce transmission of the virus and protect the community.”

Contra Costa offers COVID-19 testing to anyone who lives or works in the county, regardless of insurance, ability to pay or whether they have symptoms or not.

Drive-through appointments continue to be available at West County Health Center in San Pablo, and at a site near the corner of Second Street and Ruby Avenue in North Richmond, where no-appointment, walk-in testing is available Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

The Civic Center site replaces a smaller county testing location at Kennedy High School in south Richmond, opened over the summer in partnership with West Contra Costa Unified School District.

The expansion of public testing service in West County coincides with an increase in laboratory testing capacity and improved turnaround time in Contra Costa, where many patients this summer waited two weeks or longer for their results due to a national shortage of reagents needed to process specimens.

The primary private laboratory contracted by Contra Costa to process tests was reporting a turnaround time of two to five days as of Monday. The county has also contracted with additional labs, which are now preparing to process county specimens, and its Public Health Laboratory this month received new equipment from the state allowing it to process hundreds more tests in-house daily. Turnaround times at the county’s in-house lab average two to three days.

CCHS now operates nine free community testing sites, and the state runs another three in Contra Costa County. Testing appointments are available for all county sites by calling 1-844-421-0804 (8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily) or visiting coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-tested to schedule online. The new site also accepts walk-in patients without appointments. (Note: Testing clinics operated by Contra Costa County may close during the afternoon this week depending on current air quality.)

While you don’t need symptoms to get tested, symptoms that may warrant a test include cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle ache, sore throat, headache, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, recent loss of taste or smell, or confusion, particularly in older adults.

There is no up-front cost for testing and patients do not need medical insurance or government-issued identification to get tested. However, if you have health insurance, your insurance will be billed.

CCHS does request identification during appointment registration as part of its process to receive federal reimbursement for testing, but ID is not required to receive a test. Patient information is confidential and not shared with law enforcement or other government agencies.

Patients receive their test results via secure text, or in the mail if they cannot receive texts. Patients who test positive for COVID-19 also will be contacted by Contra Costa Public Health with important next steps, including information to help prevent spreading the virus to others.

Visit coronavirus.cchealth.org/get-tested for details about community testing, including site locations.

 

Point Richmond contractor pleads guilty to 6 felonies in Workers’ Comp, payroll tax fraud case

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Owner of Viking Pavers, Inc. must pay over $2.2 million

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

Martinez, Calif. – Yesterday, Maurosan Milhomem pleaded no contest to six felonies related to his complex fraud schemes of insurance premium fraud and payroll tax fraud. He also admitted a white collar crime enhancement that he caused the loss of more than $500,000. Milhomem is the owner of Viking Pavers, Inc., a construction company based out of Point Richmond, California. The successful resolution to this criminal case was a result of a joint investigation by the Fraud Division of the California Department of Insurance, Criminal Investigation Division of the Employment Development Department, and the DA’s Office.

“This investigation demonstrated a strong working relationship with our partners that resulted in a successful prosecution in this case. We need to ensure employers follow state law and protect their employees. The defendant explicitly ran fraudulent schemes to avoid paying taxes and ultimately jeopardizing the health and safety of his workers,” stated Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.

The Contractors’ State Licensing Board and Department of Industrial Relations previously issued Viking Pavers, Inc. civil citations in 2017. Investigators from the Board and Marin County District Attorney’s Office discovered a subcontractor work crew operating for the company without a license and without worker compensation insurance under the name FF Services during a random job site inspection. The Business and Professions Code does not permit construction companies to subcontract construction work unless the crews have their own license. This is because licensed subcontractors are required to have their own bond and workers compensation insurance to protect homeowners and employees.

The District Attorney’s Office learned of the fraud after employees of Viking Pavers were involved in a vehicle accident. The employees were never reported during premium audits as employees or subcontractors. These audits help confirm if an employer is following the law and ensure the appropriate classifications for their employees and subcontractors.

The investigation by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office revealed that Viking Pavers continued to use FF Services as an unlicensed subcontractor after the civil citations and throughout 2018. The company re-routed the payments off the books to avoid detection during required audits. Forensic accountants traced payments to FF Services and other unlicensed and uninsured work crews, initially through a check cashing service in Richmond, California, and then through the bank accounts of a newly created a shell company. A subsequent search warrant at the business resulted in the seizure of over $80,000 in cash.

Milhomem’s guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Laurel Brady in Department 31. The defendant will serve 364 days in county jail and is eligible to serve the sentence through electronic home detention. In addition, the defendant will serve five years of formal probation. He is ordered to pay $1,109,603 to Markel Corporation for the underpayment of workers’ compensation insurance premium, $808,455.34 to the Employment Development Department for the underpayment of tax liability and $312,000 to Berkshire Hathaway for the underpayment of workers’ compensation insurance premium. The Court ordered the seized cash forfeited as criminal restitution pursuant to the plea agreement.

Insurance premium fraud by employers is unfair to workers, who may see questions about their employment status result in delayed or even denied coverage after an injury. Such fraud is also unfair to law-abiding competitors who cannot compete as they pay the legally required costs to provide coverage for their own workers. A forensic audit estimated that Viking Pavers evaded over $2 million dollars of insurance premiums and taxes that a law-abiding competitor would have had to pay over the same seven-year period.

The District Attorney’s Office reminds employers, particularly in the construction industry, that lying to an insurance carrier, either on the application for a policy or during payroll reporting and audit is insurance fraud punishable by up to five years state prison and an additional fine of up double the amount of the fraud.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorneys Jeremy Seymour and Michael Panikowski. Anyone with information about possible insurance fraud can report it to the District Attorney’s Office via email at DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org.

Case information: People v. Maurosan Milhomem Docket Number 01-193357-1

Pittsburg girl who died in fatal crash on Highway 4 in West County Monday night identified

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By CHP – Contra Costa

   Monday night, July 7, 2020 at approximately 9:41pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a solo vehicle collision on HWY-4 eastbound, just east of Cummings Skyway between Martinez and Hercules. Upon emergency personnel and CHP arrival, the passenger (an 18-year-old female) was tragically declared deceased and the driver (a 28-year-old male) suffered minor injuries only.

   The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office identified the deceased passenger as Alma Olivares from Pittsburg.

  In our initial investigation, it appears the male driver of the silver 2014 Jeep Laredo was traveling on HWY-4 eastbound, just east of Cummings Skyway when he allowed the Jeep to veer to the right and completely off the roadway, subsequently colliding into a tree. The collision caused fatal injuries to the female passenger and the male driver suffered minor injuries.

  Alcohol or drugs are not suspected in this collision, but this incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980.

  Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Two pedestrians struck, killed in separate collisions in Bay Point, Rodeo Saturday night

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Driver arrested for DUI in Bay Point fatality

By CHP – Contra Costa

Yesterday, July 4, 2020 at about 9:55pm, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a collision involving a vehicle versus a pedestrian at Seaview Drive and Shore Road in Bay Point. An Audi sedan struck a pedestrian in the roadway while traveling at a high rate of speed, tragically killing the pedestrian, and then fled the scene into the city of Pittsburg. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene and the driver of the Audi was later located and arrested on multiple felony charges. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased pedestrian.

In our initial investigation, it appears the driver of the Audi was traveling at a high rate of speed on the residential street of Seaview and approaching Shore Road, while the pedestrian was in the roadway with fireworks. The driver of the Audi struck the pedestrian, causing the pedestrian to be thrown into a parked vehicle on Seaview and subsequently killing the pedestrian. And then the driver of the Audi fled the scene. That driver was later found at a location in Pittsburg (from statements and witness tips) and arrested. The driver was also suspected of being under the influence/impaired and arrested and booked for the following charges: -23153(a)VC-DUI causing major injury or death, and -191.5 PC Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while intoxicated.

This incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980. Thank you.

Rodeo Pedestrian Fatality

Early this morning at about 12:20am, Contra Costa CHP was advised of a collision involving a vehicle versus pedestrian on I-80 westbound, just east of Willow Avenue. The driver of a Dodge Ram collided with a Buick sedan stopped in the #1 lane on I-80, with the driver out of the Buick and standing within the road, subsequently killing the pedestrian. The driver of the Dodge was transported to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek for moderate injuries. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will be handling the release of identity of the deceased pedestrian.

It is still unclear as to why the driver of the Buick was stopped within the #1 lane of I-80.
At this time, it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a contributing factor, but this incident is still under investigation. If anyone witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at (925) 646-4980.

Sheriff, Marshals Service seek San Pablo man identified for April murder in Rodeo

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

Angelo Ramirez. Photo by CCC Sheriff.

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff has identified 30-year-old Angelo Ramirez of San Pablo as the suspect in a fatal shooting in Rodeo, California. (See related article).

On April 24, 2020, at about 7:52 PM, Bay Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report that someone was shot at the 1000 block of Mariposa Avenue. Deputies arrived finding a man on the street suffering from a gunshot wound. The fire department and an ambulance responded. The man was later pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim was identified as 24-year-old Olajawon Walker of San Pablo.

Detectives investigating the case later identified Ramirez as the suspect. The case was presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office which charged him with murder. A warrant was issued for Ramirez’s arrest.

It is believed that Ramirez fled the area after the murder. He is currently being sought by the Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is believed Ramirez may be receiving assistance in avoiding apprehension. Anyone associated with harboring Ramirez may be arrested for being an accessory to murder after the fact.

Ramirez should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached by the public. If he is seen, please call 911 immediately. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at (925) 646-2441 or 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.

Two shot on I-80 in San Pablo early Monday morning, CHP asks public’s help

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By CHP – Golden Gate Division

Early this morning, Monday, June 22, 2020, at approximately 4:35 AM, a shooting occurred on eastbound I-80, west of San Pablo Dam Road. Two occupants traveling in a gold color, Ford Fusion sedan were struck by gunfire from an unknown vehicle by an unknown suspect. As a result, both occupants, a male and female, suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

See video of possible vehicle of victims in KTVU FOX2 news report.

Detectives assigned to CHP – Golden Gate Division Investigative Services Unit (ISU) are actively investigating this shooting. Our detectives are requesting assistance from the public in gathering details surrounding this incident. If you or anyone you know have any information that might be helpful, please call the CHP Investigation Tipline at 707.917.4491.