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Press Release Index


October 26, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Defendant found guilty by jury of all counts in serial rape case</p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Earlier today, after an approximately 5-week long trial, a Sonoma County jury found Tirso Dejesus Guzman, 28 years old of Santa Rosa, guilty as charged of 11 Counts of sexually assaulting three women in the summer of 2019.</span> Read full story


October 19, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Man receives 16 years, 4 months in state prison for possessing 65 pounds of methamphetamine with intent to sell</p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant Edgar Ortega-Aguilar, 39 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert Laforge to serve 16 years, 4 months at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after pleading no contest in August of this year to charges of felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.</span> Read full story


October 18, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Parolee sentenced for multiple felonies committed while on parole </p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant James Edward Canada Sr., 57 years old of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve 24 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest to multiple felony charges in September of this year.</span> Read full story


October 08, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Man sentenced to prison for pimping,pandering, and assault</p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant Jason Isaiah Lopez-Willis, 22 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced today by the Honorable Dana Simonds to serve 4 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” to felony charges of pimping and pandering in early September. In addition to the pimping and pandering charges, Lopez-Willis was sentenced for violating the terms of his formal probation for a 2020 conviction for assault with force likely to result in great bodily injury.</span><br /> Read full story


September 30, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Man sentenced to more than twelve years in prison for stalking and threatening ex-girlfriend </p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Jesse Boatman, 42 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced earlier today by the Honorable Robert LaForge to serve 12 years and 4 months in state prison after pleading “no contest” in June of this year to felony charges of stalking and making criminal threats</span> Read full story


September 21, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Child rapist receives "life" sentence</p>

<p> <span>Defendant LarryThomas Rhoades, 69 years old of Santa Rosa, was sentenced earlier today by theHonorable Peter Ottenweller to serve a prison term of 12 years plus anadditional indeterminate sentence of 15 years to life, after pleading “nocontest” in June to 25 felony counts of child sexual assault. </span></p><p><span></span></p> Read full story


September 21, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Richard Celli named chief investigator at Sonoma County District Attorney's Office</p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch has selected Richard Celli as the new Chief of the Investigations Bureau at the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.</span> Read full story


September 17, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Triple Murderer Denied Parole</p><p></p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">District Attorney Jill Ravitch has announced that Johnny Lee Sommerhalder, 78</span><i style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </i><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">years old of Santa Rosa, has been denied parole by the California Board of Parole Hearings.</span> Read full story


September 16, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Man Convicted of Sexually Abusing Two Young Females</p><p></p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant Jesus Paniagua-Rojas, 51 years old of Santa Rosa, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a Sonoma County jury of committing 18 felony sex offenses against two children from 2014 to 2018.</span> Read full story


August 27, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>Man sentenced to prison for the physical and sexual assault of his two young children</p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Defendant Albert Meredith, 27 years old of Cazadero, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 14 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest in May to charges of physically abusing his newborn daughter, and sexually molesting the baby’s 4-year-old half-sister.</span> Read full story