Visalia Criminal Law Blog

Police in California apprehended three suspects in connection with the attempted armed robbery of a legal marijuana growing business in Patterson. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department says that as many as nine more individuals may have been involved. The attempted burglary occurred just nine days after a group of individuals assaulted a security guard at the facility. The business owner believes that the same group was responsible for both incidents.

SCSD deputies were dispatched to the scene at about 1:30 a.m. after a security guard called 911. The guard says that he made the call after noticing a group of approximately 12 individuals wearing masks and carrying handguns and rifles on security monitors. Deputies arrived at the business about 30 minutes later and established a perimeter near the intersection of Fig Avenue and Ash Avenue. The decision to enter the business was made when a SWAT team arrived at the scene.

Two brothers from Vallejo, ages 24 and 30, remain in federal custody after searches of their homes produced methamphetamine, a semi-automatic handgun and two AK-47 assault rifles. According to information released by the Napa Special Investigations Bureau, the men sold methamphetamine and cocaine to undercover detectives on multiple occasions.

In cooperation with agents from Homeland Security Investigations, NSIB detectives monitored the brothers' activities from August until December when authorities arrested them. Their arrest led to the approval of search warrants for both of their residences where authorities reportedly gathered additional evidence.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California reported on Dec. 6 that a multi-agency drug trafficking investigation has led to the indictment of 12 individuals by a federal grand jury. The individuals were taken into custody during several operations in November following an investigation involving the Fresno and Salinas Police Departments, the San Bernardino and Kings County Sheriff's Departments, the California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The major breakthrough in the investigation, which was launched by the FPD in 2018, was made when DEA agents identified a 61-year-old Fresno man as a wholesale distributor of illegal drugs including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Wiretaps were then used to identify the man's associates. These allegedly included a 42-year-old Fresno man who is described in court papers as an illegal narcotics broker who distributed drugs using associates in Fresno, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Monterey counties. Agents also concluded that the drugs were being smuggled into the United States from narcotics traffickers working out of Mexicali, Mexico.

On Nov. 19, California state law enforcement took 50 people into custody who were allegedly connected to the Nortenos street gang. The investigation started in August. Alleged gang members were said to have been involved in possessing and selling firearms, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.

According to law enforcement, 25 pounds of drugs were seized, including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. Eight assault weapons were also seized. Among other crimes, some of the suspects were said to be involved in the shooting of a 10-year-old boy in his backyard, and law enforcement reported that they had identified the individuals responsible.