Fullerton PD Offers Some Friendly Advice

After hearing about the recent burglaries in North Fullerton, I asked FPD Sergeant Goodrich to comment on the difficulties of solving thefts and what people can do to deter thefts.  Below is Sergeant Goodrich's response which closely mirrors the recommendations on the FPD website:

Unfortunately, property crimes across this country, not just in Fullerton, are difficult to solve.  There is often little to no evidence, and personal items are often challenging to trace.  Even those items like serialized property are rarely identified by owners because they neglect to record the serial numbers themselves.  They assume the number(s) are on a receipt, or the store would have them.  It is also difficult to look for “46 inch Sharp TV” on Craig’s List when there are no serial numbers to check it with.  When we do have evidence, like fingerprints or possible DNA, it is processed and sometimes comes up as a match.  This will typically lead to an arrest warrant, or at least questioning.  When we detect trends in time and place, we can deploy units to conduct surveillance of an area.  Our detectives also meet with detectives from other agencies to talk about potential trends.  We use our detectives, patrol officers, as well as our crime analyst to identify trends. As far as safeguards and precautions, the first is easy: lock your doors and windows.  You would be surprised how often a burglar gains entry into a house through an unlocked rear sliding glass door or window.  Keeping your garage door closed is also helpful.  Many thefts occur when the resident is home, but with the garage door open.  Also, record the serial numbers of serialized electronics so that if the items are stolen, the police can input that information into the computer. Alarms can be helpful in getting the police to a home, but probably not in time to catch the thieves.  There is usually a significant delay, and the thief will know he/she tripped an alarm by the sounds and other cues.  I don’t have information on the effectiveness of dogs as a deterrent.   I do know that many burglaries happen when the thief gains access from the rear yard, so anything that would make a burglar think twice about going in a back yard would probably be beneficial. I also do not have information on whether the residents in the burglaries mentioned below had dogs or alarms or not.

FPD Acting Chief Dan Hughes says this video offers a good look at how burglars operate.
 http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/investigative/rolling-30s-the-knock-knock-burglars-20100215

Private Outsourcing of Police Services

I'm not sold on the idea of outsourcing Fullerton's police services to a private company but we do need to look at all of our options. 

Municipal Money Laundering? Double Taxes? Misappropriation of Public Funds?

Is the City of Fullerton engaged in some sort of money laundering scheme that includes double taxing residents and misappropriating public funds? 

I think so but you decide.

Monday I will explore these questions and share some unsettling practices within City Hall.  If they aren't illegal, they should be. You'll need a shower after you read it; yes it really is that bad!  In fact, it's much worse than I ever suspected.

(Enter your email on the right side and click SUBSCRIBE)

TSA Officer Indicted in Series of Thefts from Luggage

LOS ANGELES—A federal grand jury this afternoon indicted an officer with the Transportation Security Administration on theft charges related to watches and a pre-paid debit card that were stolen from the luggage of airline passengers at Los Angeles International Airport.

Paul Yashou, 38, of Torrance, was named in a five-count indictment that charges him with two felony and three misdemeanor theft counts.

The indictment alleges that Yashou stole four watches and the debit card from luggage going through security screening in Terminal 1 at LAX.

The indictment specifically alleges that Yashou stole an IWC GST chrono perpetual calendar moonphase watch valued at approximately $15,000, a Breitling Crosswind watch valued at approximately $5,000, a $1,000 Antima watch, a $1,000 Movado watch, and a $1,000 pre-paid debit card.

The investigation in this case started when the owner of the IWC watch noticed that his watch had been offered for sale on eBay. The investigation revealed that Yashou had sold the watch to the jewelry store that was offering the watch for sale on the Internet.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The two felony counts in the indictment, which relate to the IWC and Breitling watches, each carry a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The three misdemeanor charges each carry a maximum sentence of one year in prison.

Yashou will be summoned to appear in United States District Court for an arraignment on August 3.
The case against Yashou was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Airport Police.

CONTACT:
Assistant United States Attorney Meghan A. Blanco
Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section
(213) 894-2253
Release No. 11-102
Source: http://www.fbi.gov/losangeles/press-releases/2011/tsa-officer-indicted-in-series-of-thefts-from-luggage

Seven Real Estate Professionals Indicted for Mortgage Fraud

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging seven real estate professionals with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on July 14, 2011.

Charged in the case are Moctezuma Tovar, 42; Manuel Herrera, 31; Ruben Rodriguez, 34; and Jaime Mayorga, 32, all licensed real estate agents residing in Sacramento; Sandra Hermosillo, 49, of Woodland, formerly a loan officer; Jun Michael Dirain, 38, of Antelope, formerly a loan processor; and Christian Parada Renteria, 35, of Sacramento, formerly a loan officer. The indictment alleges that Tovar owned and operated Delta Homes and Lending Inc, a real estate and mortgage lending company where he and the other defendants were employed. Between October 2004 and May 2007, the defendants are alleged to have conspired to obtain home loans from mortgage lenders based upon false and fraudulent loan applications and supporting documents that falsely represented the borrowers’ assets and income, liabilities and debts, employment status, and citizenship status. The indictment alleges that, as part of the scheme, the defendants provided money to borrowers in order to fraudulently inflate the borrowers’ assets and bank account balances. Once the defendants had secured approved loans based upon their fraudulent representations to lenders, the borrowers returned the money the defendants had provided for the scheme. The indictment alleges that mortgage lenders and others suffered losses of at least $4 million, and that the aggregate sales prices of the homes involved in the conspiracy exceeded $10 million.

This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dominique N. Thomas is prosecuting the case.

U.S. Attorney Wagner said: “Fraud schemes such as the one alleged in this case, in which real estate professionals submitted false information and phony documents to obtain mortgage loans, are one of the major reasons why this part of California was hit with a foreclosure crisis that negatively impacted home values for many, many homeowners. This office will continue to root out and prosecute fraudsters in the residential real estate industry.”

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mortgage fraud is a priority area for the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit www.StopFraud.gov.

Source: http://www.fbi.gov/sacramento/press-releases/2011/seven-real-estate-professionals-indicted-for-mortgage-fraud

St. Jude patients' data stolen on computers

"St. Jude Heritage Healthcare in Fullerton has notified about 22,000 patients that their personal health data might have been accessed after five computers were stolen." 
Click here for the entire story at the OC Register.