5 missing after U.S. Navy helicopter crashes into Pacific Ocean

A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 60 miles off the coast of San Diego on Tuesday, leaving five crew members unaccounted for. The MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter took…

U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes Opioid Awareness Month; Highlights Enforcement and Outreach Efforts

Assistant U. S. Attorneys Larry Casper, Dylan Aste and Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9608 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 31, 2021 SAN DIEGO — On International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual commemoration designed…

Chief Warrant Officer Pleads Guilty in International Navy Bribery and Fraud Scandal

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714, Michelle Wasserman (619) 546-8431, Valerie Chu (619) 546-6750, and David Chu (619) 546-8266 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 31, 2021 SAN DIEGO – Retired…

Drug Trafficker who used Teens as Couriers Sentenced to 85 Months

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Heesch (619) 546-9442 SAN DIEGO – A Tijuana-based drug trafficker who used teens as drug couriers was sentenced in federal court today to seven years in prison…

California Dems fear working-class Latinos could help defeat Gavin Newsom in recall election

Democrats in California are afraid low support among working-class Latino voters could be enough for Gov. Gavin Newsom to be recalled, Politico reported. “Latinos are the shifting demographic in this country,” former…

U.S. home prices 41% higher than 2006 pre-recession peak

Home prices in the U.S. are more than 41% higher than the previous peak recorded in 2006 during the housing boom that preceded the Great Recession, according to a national index. Home…

Vice apologizes after writer calls Marines Neo Nazis on day of attack that killed 10

Last Thursday, ten U.S. Marines and three other U.S. service members were killed in a deadly terrorist attack in Kabul. That same morning, the headline on the Vice news website was a…

Second Man Charged in Deaths of Smuggled Chinese Migrants

SAN DIEGO – Saad Ali Awan, a U.S. citizen living in El Centro, appeared in federal court today to face charges that he was part of a conspiracy to illegally transport three…

Eight Indicted in Nationwide Grandparent Fraud Scam

Assistant U. S. Attorney Oleksandra “Sasha” Johnson (619) 546-9769 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 25, 2021 SAN DIEGO – Eight people are charged in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed this week,…

Elderly man walking with a cane in a park

Multiple Defendants in ‘Grandparent Scam’ Network Indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy

Note: Click to view the indictment. A federal grand jury in San Diego has returned an indictment against eight defendants for their alleged roles in a federal racketeering conspiracy. The indictment alleges the…

Dozens of Californstudents and their parents on summer vacation stranded in Afghanistan

Dozens of California students and parents are reportedly stranded in Afghanistan after visiting the country on a summer vacation, the Los Angeles Times reported. At least 24 students and 16 parents from…

Feds say cartels increasing maritime human and drug trafficking in Southern California

OS ANGELES — Maritime smuggling events in Orange, Los Angeles, and Ventura counties increased significantly this summer reaching record levels. Just in the month of July, members of the Department of Homeland Security…

Boat Operators Plead Guilty in Smuggling Death in La Jolla

Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jimmy N. Rotstein (619) 546-8573, Colin M. McDonald (619) 546-9144, and Victor P. White (619) 546-8439 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 18, 2021 SAN DIEGO – Victor Alfonso…

U.S. opens investigation into Tesla’s autopilot feature after multiple crashes

The Department of Transportation opened an investigation into Tesla’s autopilot system, citing 11 crashes since 2018 that were potentially caused by the technology. The probe will be wide-ranging and won’t be limited…

Man Sentenced to 33 months in Prison for Possessing Molotov Cocktails at La Mesa Protest

Man Sentenced to 33 months in Prison for Possessing Molotov Cocktails at La Mesa Protest NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 13, 2021 SAN DIEGO – Zachary Alexander Karas was sentenced in federal…

Federal Charges Filed Following Record-Breaking Drug Seizure

Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Steven Lee (619) 546-8893 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 6, 2021 SAN DIEGO – Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman announced federal drug charges today (August 6) against…

2.8 tons of meth caught in massive seizure at California border

OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility discovered 2.8 tons of methamphetamine and fentanyl powder hidden within a shipment of plastic household articles.…

Pesticide Smuggler Sentenced to Jail, Ordered to Pay $10,000

Assistant U. S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson (619) 546-7976 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 10, 2021 SAN DIEGO – Mark Lee Morgan of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced in federal court Friday…

Escondido Resident Admits to Selling Over $1 Million of Forged Art

For further informtion Contact: Assistant U. S. Attorney Andrew J. Galvin (619) 546-9721 SAN DIEGO – Jason Harrington pleaded guilty today and admitted that he sold $1.1 million of forged art. Harrington…

Jury Convicts Leader of Nevada City-Based Mortgage Fraud Scheme

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Monday, a federal jury found James Christopher Castle, 57, formerly of Petaluma, guilty of 35 counts in a bank fraud scheme that sought to fraudulently eliminate home mortgages…

San Diego- Page 41