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Man sentenced to maximum sentence of 24 years, 8 months in state prison for robbery, high speed pursuit causing serious injury, & driving under the influence of methamphetamine
Jose Angel Mendez Torres, 36 years old of Watsonville, was sentenced on Friday of last week by the Honorable Judge Mark Urioste to serve the maximum sentence allowed of 24 years, and 8 months in state prison after a jury returned guilty verdicts on June 9, 2023 for multiple charges, including robbery, commercial burglary, driving under the influence of a drug causing great bodily injury, fleeing a peace officer, and possession of tear gas by a convicted felon. Read full story
Santa Rosa man sentenced to prison for providing fentanyl to Petaluma woman causing her death
Defendant Chase Kirby, 28 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Laura Passaglia to serve the maximum term of four years in local prison. This sentence came after Mr. Kirby pled “no contest” earlier this month to a felony charge of committing involuntary manslaughter after providing fentanyl to a female acquaintance on September 6, 2021, resulting in her overdose and death. Read full story
Carjacker Sentenced to Maximum Term of Imprisonment for Random Attack on Elderly Victim
Defendant Rico Richard Leaton-Gomez, 28 years old of Windsor, was sentenced today by the Honorable Laura Passaglia to serve 26 years in state prison after having been convicted by a Sonoma County jury in June of this year to charges of carjacking and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury. In addition, the defendant was also found to have committed sentencing enhancements for personally inflicting great bodily injury on the victim and for having a prior “strike” conviction. The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office recommended the 26-year sentence which is the maximum allowed by law. Read full story
Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office Awarded Grant to Investigate and Prosecute Workers’ Compensation Fraud
The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office was recently awarded a grant from the California Department of Insurance to be used for the investigation and prosecution of Workers’ Compensation Insurance fraud. The grant is for $339,173.00 for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year. Funding for the grant comes from California employers who are legally required to be insured or self-insured. Workers’ Compensation Fraud is investigated and prosecuted by the Environmental and Consumer Law Division of the District Attorney’s Office. Read full story
Sonoma County District Attorney Settles Civil Lawsuit Against Dietary Supplement Company Balance of Nature
District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that her office as part of the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device Task Force settled a consumer protection action against Evig, LLC doing business as Balance of Nature. The case was filed in Napa Superior Court by the District Attorney’s offices of Sonoma, Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Napa Orange, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, and Solano Counties, which together comprise the task force. Read full story
Sonoma County District Attorney Announces Results of First Annual Report From PG&E Independent Monitor
Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that the Independent Monitor held its annual meeting yesterday, and released its First Annual Report, related to its oversight of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (“PG&E”). The Independent Monitor, Filsinger Energy Partners, was appointed last April to monitor PG&E’s compliance with various safety measures imposed upon the company by a Stipulated Judgment between the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office and PG&E, and ordered by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick on April 8, 2022, related to the 2019 Kincade Fire. Read full story
Sonoma Man Sentenced to 21 Years Prison in State Prison for Shooting at Deputy
Defendant Nathan James Smart, 44 years old of Sonoma, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 21 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” last month to charges of assault with a firearm on a peace officer. Under the negotiated agreement, Smart also admitted sentencing enhancements for personal use of a firearm, and for a previous conviction of gross vehicular manslaughter dating back to 1999. Read full story
Insurance Broker Christopher Ramos Sentenced to Prison For Nine Years for Theft of Client Money
Defendant Christopher Ramos, a 45-year-old Insurance Broker from Santa Rosa, CA, was sentenced yesterday by the Honorable Karlene Navarro to 9 years in prison for stealing nearly $190,000 from clients. From around 2013 through 2016, Ramos operated CDR Insurance Agency. During this time, Ramos obtained money from clients for commercial and individual insurance policies. However, rather than applying the money towards the insurance policies the clients thought they were purchasing, Ramos stole the money and used it for his own for personal expenses. This left his victims without the insurance coverage they believed they had, and open to potential losses and liability. At the time of his crimes in Sonoma County, Ramos was already on probation in San Francisco County after being convicted for similar crimes there. Read full story
Yeti Coolers, LLC Settles Violations Related to Delayed Shipping in California
On July 11, 2023, Judge Brad DeMeo entered a Stipulated Judgement against Yeti Coolers LLC (“Yeti”) in the amount of $40,490 in Civil Case No SCV-273598. This Judgment settles allegations that Yeti misrepresented that customers would receive delivery of certain products by a specified date related to holiday promotions. The case was brought by the consumer protection units of the Sonoma, Napa, and Alameda County District Attorney’s Offices. Read full story
PetSmart Resolves Allegations of Price Overcharges and False Advertising
Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that PETSMART LLC entered a Stipulated Judgment and will pay $1,460,000 to settle a civil law enforcement complaint that alleged that PetSmart engaged in false advertising and unfair competition. The action was filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court by Rodriguez’s Environmental and Consumer Law Division along with the District Attorneys of Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Ventura. The civil complaint filed by prosecutors alleged that PetSmart unlawfully charged customers prices higher than PetSmart’s lowest advertised price for items. Read full story