Friday, 22 November 2024

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Stolen mail recovered during the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office investigation. Courtesy photo.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — Authorities are investigating what they said is a massive fraud and mail theft case that they believe has more than 100 victims throughout inland Mendocino County.

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jay Vanoven said Sharon Kathleen Smith, 43, of Potter Valley and Charles Maxfield, 46, of Willits have been identified as the suspects in the case.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Sept. 25, Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area of West Road and Spring Valley Road in Potter Valley, Vanoven said.

He said a resident noticed a vehicle parked near mail boxes in the area and believed the occupants may have been stealing mail. As the resident approached the vehicle, it sped away and was last seen in the area of Spring Valley Road.

The first responding deputy encountered the vehicle, a 2004 Ford Focus, on Spring Valley Road. Vanoven said the deputy noticed the vehicle came to an abrupt stop before he made contact with it.

As the deputy approached the vehicle on foot, he noticed the driver seat was vacant. When the deputy contacted the passenger, Sharon Smith, he heard what sounded like a person running away through the nearby brush, Vanoven said.

Vanoven said evidence later found within the vehicle identified the driver as Charles Maxfield, who was known to be on Post Release Community Supervision, or PRCS, for convictions related to mail theft. Maxfield was also known to have an outstanding arrest warrant for violating the terms of his PRCS.

Additional deputies arrived and searched the area for Maxfield but were unsuccessful, Vanoven said.

A search of the vehicle revealed a massive amount of mail and numerous identification documents, none of which were addressed or issued to Maxfield or Smith. Vanoven said deputies also located in the vehicle numerous blank checks, a laptop computer and a portable color printer.

Sharon Kathleen Smith, 43, of Potter Valley, California, was arrested on Saturday, September 25, 2021, on charges related to a fraud and mail theft case. Mendocino County Jail photo.

A photocopy of a California Identification Card depicting Maxfield was located with the printer. The ID card contained the full identification of a person other than Maxfield, Vanoven said.

Based on this initial investigation, deputies determined Maxfield and Smith were in fact actively stealing mail, and using the identifying information gathered from the mail, to commit fraudulent and felonious acts.

Smith was arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail on charges of felony defrauding or acquiring personal identifying information and conspiracy to commit a crime, and a misdemeanor probation violation.

A search warrant for Smith's residence, located in Potter Valley, was secured and served. Vanoven said no additional evidence was located.

Based on the nature of the crimes, a request to increase bail and to restrict the source of bail was granted by a Mendocino County Superior Court judge. Vanoven said Smith's bail was set at "no bail" and should bail be set, she will be required to prove that the funds used to post bail were not feloniously obtained before bail will be granted.

Maxfield remains outstanding at this time, Vanoven said.

Vanoven said further investigation of the evidence revealed no less than 100 separated victims' identifying information had been acquired by Smith and Maxfield.

This information likely had been used, or was being possessed with the intent to use, in the commission of multiple felonious offenses, Vanoven said.

Deputies, with the assistance of the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office Investigations Division, are continuing to follow up with victims related to this case, according to Vanoven’s report.

Vanoven said mail was found addressed to persons in Ukiah, Calpella, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Reeves Canyon and Willits.
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Moving to protect public health and the environment, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County to support the emergency response to the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach that originated in federal waters.

“The state is moving to cut red tape and mobilize all available resources to protect public health and the environment,” said Gov. Newsom. “As California continues to lead the nation in phasing out fossil fuels and combating the climate crisis, this incident serves as a reminder of the enormous cost fossil fuels have on our communities and the environment.”

At the governor’s direction, the state has deployed personnel from the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to the incident command in Long Beach to closely coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard, local agencies and responsible parties on the response, cleanup and mitigation of the oil spill.

In addition, agencies from across the administration are on the ground actively supporting various elements of the response, including staff from California State Parks, California Volunteers, California State Lands Commission, Cal Fire and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, among others.

Gov. Newsom has led an effort to phase out the use of fossil fuels, fight the climate crisis, protect our environment and support the health of every Californian.

California has not granted new offshore leases for oil production in over 50 years and Gov. Newsom has directed the California Air Resources Board to analyze pathways to phase out oil extraction by 2045.

In January 2019, just after taking office, Gov. Newsom opposed the Trump administration’s proposal to expand oil and gas exploration and production off of California’s coast. He urged the Department of the Interior to withdraw California from further consideration for renewed offshore oil and gas development and asked the Bureau of Land Management to shelve its proposal to open new areas of public land in California for oil and gas lease sales.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. — State Sen. Mike McGuire on Thursday thanked Gov. Newsom for his signing of SB 69, the Great Redwood Trail Act.

“With Big Coal trying to do an end run on the North Coast, the State of California is standing strong for the Great Redwood Trail. We won’t be intimidated, we’re certainly not going to back down. We will win this fight against Big Coal and the signing of SB 69 today is a massive step forward,” said McGuire.

He added, “I’m grateful to the governor for signing this historic legislation that will once and for all, close down the defunct and bankrupt North Coast Railroad Authority and transition the organization into a world class trails agency.”

The bill puts the organization, the funding, and the expert staff in place to fight what McGuire said are “midwestern coal barons” and to continue the progress on the Great Redwood Trail.

“We’ll kick off the Trail’s fully funded Master Plan in early 2022 and we couldn’t be more excited,” said McGuire.

Due to the passage and signing of SB 69, NCRA will transition to the Great Redwood Trail Agency on March 1, 2022, and the State Coastal Conservancy will take over oversight and management of the organization no later than July 1, 2022.

The Great Redwood Trail Agency’s mission is to master plan, design, construct, operate, and maintain the Great Redwood Trail.

They will begin the community outreach and master planning process the first part of the new year.
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A hatchery worker shows off an adult spring-run Chinook salmon. Photo courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Water Resources have announced a joint effort at the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Butte County to aid in offsetting impacts to spring-run and fall-run Chinook salmon resulting from this year’s extreme drought conditions.

Under this joint initiative, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, and the California Department of Water Resources, or DWR, are taking a two-part approach supporting Feather River salmon populations to guard against impacts observed during the state’s last multi-year drought, as well as protect against impacts observed in recent years due to a nutrient deficiency.

“During California’s last extended drought, we observed significant declines in Sacramento Valley fall-run Chinook salmon stock contributions to the state’s sport and commercial fishery,” said Colin Purdy, environmental program manager for fisheries in CDFW’s North Central Region. “We’re trying to get ahead of any drought-related impacts this time by taking these actions and trying to keep these populations as stable and healthy as we can.”

First, the agencies will try to increase the number of spring-run Chinook salmon successfully spawning in-river by returning healthy adults that have returned to Feather River Fish Hatchery that are in excess of those needed to meet hatchery production goals and have been treated with a nutrient supplement.

Second, in anticipation of decreased recruitment to the ocean fishery, fall-run Chinook salmon production at the hatchery will be increased from 6 million to 7.75 million smolts.

“Even though wild salmon and hatcheries are well studied throughout California and the Pacific Northwest, our community of dedicated state, federal and university scientists continues to uncover new information,” said Jason Kindopp, manager of DWR’s Feather River Program. “Managing hatcheries and salmon populations presents new challenges every season and using the best data available helps inform our actions to fit the moment.”

Earlier this spring, adult spring-run Chinook salmon collected at the Feather River Fish Hatchery were provided a thiamine supplement injection to protect against impacts from Thiamine Deficiency Complex, or TDC.

TDC was first observed in Central Valley Chinook populations in 2019, and results in early egg and fry mortality in progeny from affected adults.

This year, once spring-run spawning production goals are met, the hatchery will return any excess, healthy adult broodstock that have been treated for TDC back to the river to spawn naturally and promote in-river production.

“The thiamine deficiency has been showing up in returning adults these past few years due to a change in ocean food resources. This year, providing the thiamine supplement at the hatchery will help production both at the hatchery and in the natural spawning areas,” said Jason Julienne, senior environmental scientist, supervisor for CDFW's North Central Region Hatchery Program. “By returning thiamine supplemented adults to the river we can maximize the benefit of that action to the Feather River spring-run population.”

The spawning of spring-run Chinook salmon by CDFW staff during September was successful with more than 3 million eggs harvested.

The spawning of fall-run Chinook salmon at the Feather River Fish Hatchery will begin in early October with the goal of producing 7.75 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts to be released in the spring of 2022.

The Feather River Fish Hatchery is a California State Water Project facility owned and maintained by DWR, which funds hatchery operations. CDFW operates the hatchery, including fish spawning, rearing and stocking activities.
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Gina Rae Bean, 43, of Fort Bragg, California, was convicted of a fatal hit-and-run crash in 2019 that killed a skateboarder. Mendocino County Jail photo.

NORTH COAST, Calif. — A Mendocino County judge on Thursday convicted a Fort Bragg woman of a felony in the 2019 death of a skateboarder.

Gina Rae Bean, 43, was found guilty after a trial in front of Presiding Judge Ann Moorman.

Bean was convicted of a felony, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of another person, in this case, 21-year-old Calum Pulido, also known as Calum Hunnicutt.

The state Vehicle Code mandates that the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury or death of a person must immediately stop the vehicle and render aid including summoning emergency help.

State law also requires a driver to report the accident without delay to the nearest law enforcement agency.

Criminal charges accused Bean of failing on the night of July 18, 2019, to stop, render aid or notify law enforcement of a crash on Highway 1 at the intersection with Little Lake Road.

Pulido was skateboarding with a friend at about 10:45 p.m. July 18. He was heading west on Little Lake Road when he was struck and killed by a northbound vehicle driven by Bean.

Court proceedings were delayed for a year because of a variety of reasons including COVID restrictions.

Eventually Bean and her private attorney waived her right to a jury trial and agreed to a trial before Judge Moorman in Mendocino County Superior Court.

The court trial began on Sept. 20 and over a total of five days prosecution and defense witnesses testified in front of Judge Moorman.

Bean testified on her own behalf at the court trial. Judge Moorman heard final arguments on Tuesday and took the case under submission.

Judge Moorman announced the guilty verdict on Thursday. Sentencing of Bean is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 3.

The Mendocino County District Attorney’s Office said Bean faces up to four years in state prison.

Bean also could be placed on supervised probation for no more than two years. Under law, however, Bean must serve county jail time. With credits, Bean could serve between 45 and 180 actual days in jail.

The California Highway Patrol and the state Department of Justice crime laboratories in Eureka and Sacramento developed evidence after the vehicle involved in the fatal accident was found hidden, and already under repair.

District Attorney investigators assisted prosecutor Eloise Kelsey in the trial preparation and developing additional evidence.

Judge Moorman found co-defendant, Ricky Faustino Santos, 37, also of Fort Bragg, was not guilty of being an accessory after the fact. Santos faces no further court proceedings, the District Attorney’s Office reported.
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NORTH COAST, Calif. — A Ukiah man was fatally injured on Monday afternoon when his pickup went off Highway 1, overturned and caught fire.

The California Highway Patrol’s Ukiah Area office said the crash occurred at 3:50 p.m. Monday on Highway 1 south of Frog Pond Road near Little River.

It did not release the name of the 39-year-old man who died pending notification of next of kin.

The CHP said the man was driving a 1982 Dodge pickup northbound on Highway 1 at a high rate of speed.

Because of his speed, the driver was unable to safely negotiate a sharp turn and drove across both lanes of Highway 1, going off the roadway and down a steep hill, the CHP said.

The CHP said the Dodge rolled over multiple times and landed on its roof appropriately 200 feet down the hill.

When the pickup landed on its roof, it was fully engulfed in flames, the CHP reported.

The man, who the CHP said was not wearing his seat belt, died at the scene of his injuries.

As of Monday night, the CHP said it was unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were factors in this collision, which remains under investigation.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

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