California Criminal Lawyer Blog

The brother of a former Mexican president had been sentenced to serve seven years in prison for securities fraud and tax evasion. According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, the 67-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday, March 23, 2010 to grand theft auto, securities fraud and tax evasion for defrauding those investors by promising large returns for false business opportunities and stealing the investors funds. In addition to prison time, he must repay $460,000 to seven victims as well as $117,000 to the California Franchise Tax Board.

The man was originally arrested and charged in January. He faced a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison at the time. His guilty plea was supposedly coaxed by a plea bargain that dropped 13 out of the 15 original counts of grand theft auto and one count of tax evasion and fraudulent sales of securities.

The man had taken amounts that varied from $18,000 to $350,000 from victims between March 2006 and August 2007. He promised either land or Mexican political influence. In total, he unlawfully stole $1.2 million dollars from his victims. This is the man’s second criminal conviction. Over 20 years ago, he had been sentenced to ten years in an Arizona prison for fraud, serving a total of six years before he was released.

Fraud is considered both a California felony and a federal offense. If you have been charged with fraud, you may want to consult an experienced California defense attorney. The skilled and knowledgeable theft crimes attorneys at Takakjian & Sitkoff will thoroughly investigate your criminal case to provide you with an effective defense. Call 866-430-8383 today for a free and confidential consultation. Our aggressive criminal defense lawyers can help.

A well-respected 33-year-old teacher from one of Burbank’s public schools recently confessed to having an sexual relations with a 14-year-old boy. The affair began in March 2009 and continued until last December. According to an article from the Burbank Leader, the woman walked into the local police station, allegedly full of guilt, and confessed to the crime with her attorney present. Police and school officials were unaware of the Los Angeles sexual crime beforehand. The former student, now 15, confirmed the woman’s story.

The Burbank teacher is currently being charged with five counts of engaging in sex acts with a person under 16 and faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. The criminal arraignment was scheduled for March 25. She has made no effort to post her $175,000 bail. Psychologists have been provided by officials for students at the school.

Continue reading " Teacher Confesses to Sex Scandal with Former Student " »

Because of California’s ongoing budget crisis and overcrowded prisons; California has decided to relax parole regulations for convicted nonviolent felony offenders, including no random drug tests, travel stipulations or check-in requirements. Currently, eleven percent of the California budget goes to prison costs, accounting for $8.6 billion this year alone. Officials believe that the initiative will save $500 million the first year, helping to close the $20 billion gap. This new measure is said to reduce prison populations by reducing the number of minor California parole violations that re-imprison parolees.

According to an article from the Associated Press, around 24,000 nonviolent parolees are expected to qualify for less supervision; including many who are already on parole. Although those eligible for parole in the next year in California are required to register their addresses, parole officers are not required to conduct unannounced home visits or searches. Instead, this task will be left to local law enforcement; who have expressed fears that the deregulation would lead to an increase in crime, thereby compounding the problem.

Continue reading " California Loosens Grip on Parole Violations " »

Two women and one man were cited for prostitution as a result of a Craigslist posting on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. According to an article by The Signal, the man is 50-years-old. He was arrested and charged with supervising prostitution while the women, ages 46 and 47, were arrested for prostitution.

A lieutenant from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station indicated that the arrests were not connected to a two-year ongoing investigation beginning in 2008 on local illegal massage establishments. The Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau has conducted 58 undercover sting operations at various massage businesses in the area, which resulted in 20 arrests for prostitution and 30 for licensing violations.

In November 2009, as a result of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigation, a multi-agency task force has also targeted 28 massage businesses in Santa Clarita for violations including labor laws, business licensing and violations of the California Penal Code. Seven of the investigated businesses were charged with operating without a license while nine others were in violation of the city’s municipal codes. Numerous others were not in compliance with building and state labor codes and five were ordered to close operations.

Prostitution, Pimping and Solicitation charges in Los Angeles require special attention as these charges can sometimes be based on very broad assumptions. If you are an owner of a massage parlor and have been charged with prostitution, solicitation, pimping or other sex offenses, do not hesitate to talk to an experienced Los Angeles prostitution criminal defense attorney.

Continue reading " Three Arrested for Prostitution Charges in Santa Clarita " »

Last Wednesday, March 10, 2010, federal prosecutors charged Hump, a popular sushi restaurant in the Santa Monica owned by Typhoon Restaurant Inc., for selling endangered whale meat. Also being charged is the restaurant’s head chef. The investigation surfaced when the New York Times accused the restaurant and chef of serving endangered Sei whale meat out of the trunk of a white Mercedes.

This incident has shocked many environmental organizations and animal activists, especially since Santa Monica is known for its progressive environmentalism. Federal agents and animal activists worked together in a sting operation that orchestrated by the associate producer of Oscar-winning documentary, “The Cove.”

According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, both the restaurant and the chef are being charged with the illegal sale of a marine mammal product, a misdemeanor that holds a maximum sentence of one year in prison and fines up to $100,000 for an individual and $200,000 for an organization.

The attorney for Hump said in a statement that the restaurant “accepts responsibility for the wrongdoing charged by the U.S. attorney and will agree to pay a fine and resolve this matter in court.”

Continue reading " Popular Santa Monica Sushi Restaurant Charged with Federal Crime " »

Officials announced Wednesday, March 24, 2010 that next November, California voters will be able to vote on the legalization of marijuana. The initiative would allow the drug to be sold and taxed. According to an article on Silicon Valley Mercury News, Measure supporters collected 694,248 signatures, well over the 433,971 required. An estimated 523,531 signatures were valid.

"We're one step closer to ending cannabis prohibition and the unjust laws that lock people up for cannabis while alcohol is not only sold openly but advertised on television to kids every day," said Richard Lee, the main advocate for the initiative and an Oakland marijuana entrepreneur.

This bill, known as the Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, would allow adults age 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use. This significantly changes California law that currently indicates that possession of an ounce or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense punishable by $100 fine, a law that was enacted in 1975. Before that date, judges were allowed to impose sentences of up to ten years in prison.

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