prison
Former Heavenly employee pleads guilty to child porn charges
Submitted by paula on Wed, 09/06/2017 - 9:17am
Former Heavenly Mountain Resort employee Stephan DeGraffenreid pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison on each of the three counts.
Three concerts left for the season at Valhalla Boathouse Theatre
Submitted by paula on Mon, 09/04/2017 - 8:09pm
Event Date:
September 6, 2017 - 7:30pm
For the next three Wednesdays, the Valhalla Boathouse will be filled with the sound of music as the final shows of the season are held in the historic lakeside location.
On Wednesday, September 6, its a songwriter celebration with Linda McRae, Rick Shea
and Ernest Troost starting at 7:30 p.m.
South Lake Tahoe man sentenced to 56 months in prison
Submitted by paula on Sat, 08/19/2017 - 12:32am
South Lake Tahoe resident Larry Martinez Guzman, aka Larry Guzman-Martinez, 33, was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months in state prison after pleading no contest to the charges of felony driving under the influence causing injury, felony assault, and hit and run.
Author to speak on Nevada State Children's Home at Dangberg Historic Park
Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 3:29pm
Event Date:
August 6, 2017 - 10:00am Author Bonnie Boice Nishikawa will speak on her book Nevada State Orphans/Children’s Home: My Life as a “Home” Kid at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Sunday, August 6, at 10:00 am.
The Nevada State Orphans Home at Carson City was authorized in 1869 by the legislature with construction beginning the same year. The first child was admitted in October of 1870.
Location
Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park
1450 Hwy 88, Minden, NV 89423
United States
38° 56' 28.2588" N, 119° 46' 46.3872" W
See map: Google Maps
Former Truckee resident charged in scheme that took $1.7M from investors
Submitted by paula on Tue, 07/25/2017 - 2:37pm
Patrick Slavin, 55, formerly of Truckee, has been accused of being behind an investment scheme that allegedly used at least $1.7 million of investor's money.
Slavin was arraigned in federal court Tuesday on a 21-count indictment charging him with mail and wire fraud for the scheme that he ran from 2008 through 2016, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Letter: EDC Probation does critical work in criminal justice system
Submitted by paula on Fri, 07/21/2017 - 2:27pm
By proclamation of the County Board of Supervisors, El Dorado County celebrated Probation Services Week this week, July 17 – July 21, 2017. As the Chief Probation Officer in El Dorado County, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the critical work probation does in our criminal justice system and say thank you to all the men and women of my department who work tirelessly to protect our communities, reduce recidivism, restore victims, promote healthy families, and live the vision of our department: Safe Communities Through Changed Lives.
Holocaust survivor to speak in South Lake Tahoe
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 07/03/2017 - 10:24am
Event Date:
July 13, 2017 - 7:00pm Holocaust Survivor Dr. Jacob Eisenbach will be the special guest speaker at Chabad at the Ski Run Marina in South Lake Tahoe on July 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Jacob Eisenbach was born in Poland in 1923. Nicknamed “Kuba” by his father, Eisenbach grew up in a loving household with all of the hopes and dreams of any family… he was to be a doctor, his brother Sam, an author… his sister dreamed of a career as a pharmacist. That all changed when Hitler’s army invaded Poland in 1939.
Location
Chabad at the Ski Run Marina
900 Ski Run Blvd
United States
38° 56' 57.8904" N, 119° 57' 33.156" W
See map: Google Maps
Local Author Todd Borg Shares Newest Mystery at SLT Library
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/29/2017 - 7:17am
Event Date:
August 15, 2017 - 6:30pm Join the Friends of the Library in welcoming back Todd Borg who returns with his 15th Owen McKenna Tahoe Mystery, "Tahoe Payback".
Location
South Lake Tahoe Library
1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe
United States
38° 56' 43.5228" N, 119° 58' 22.2276" W
See map: Google Maps
Owners of Zephyr Cove company sentenced for fraudulent exchange visitor program
Submitted by paula on Wed, 06/28/2017 - 3:39pm
Perspective employees coming to the Unitied States on a J-1 Visa were taken advantage of by a company run by Zephyr Cove, Nevada resident David Marzano, his wife Linda Blair and adult daughter Janece Burke.
New Valhalla Tahoe "Evening on the Lawn" concerts this summer
Submitted by paula on Sun, 06/25/2017 - 10:51pm
Event Date:
July 5, 2017 - 5:30pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Valhalla Art, Music and Theatre festival schedule this summer is a full one and they've added a new event this summer, Evening Music on the Lawn.
The grand lawn at Valhalla has been a popular spot for Sunday afternoon concerts and now there will be two evening lawn concerts in 2017. Bring your lawn chairs and a picnic supper and enjoy some music, there will be a beer and wine garden too.
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Sun, 06/11/2017 - 10:03am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.
6/4
7:49 a.m. - Violation of Parole - Player Dr - 29-YEAR-OLD MAN ARRESTED PURSUANT TO STATE PAROLE HOLD AFTER DISCOVERY OF PARAPHERNALIA.
8:08 a.m. - Disorderly Conduct - Melba Dr - 63-YEAR-OLD MALE ARRESTED FOR PUBLIC INTOXICATION AND LATER RELEASED PURSUANT TO 849 PC.
6/5
El Dorado County's $536M budget eliminates 40 jobs, reduces $13M in costs
Submitted by paula on Sat, 06/03/2017 - 8:46am
With an increase of $4.5 million to CalPers in 2018, changes to some social service programs, the impact of prison realignment, a "challenging" budget for El Dorado County is now available for public review. It is going to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) as well and they will have future meetings on the subject.
Pollock Pines woman sentenced to 10 years after $9M tax fraud scheme
Submitted by paula on Wed, 04/26/2017 - 1:27pm
Teresa Marty will be spending the next ten years in prison after causing the IRS to pay more than $9 million in false refunds.
The 57-year-old Pollock Pines woman owned Advanced Financial Services (AFS), a tax return preparation business located in Placerville. She conspired with her office manager, Pamela Harris and Rebecca Bandera-Marty to file more than 250 fraudulent federal tax returns claiming more than $60 million in refunds.
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Sun, 04/09/2017 - 10:01am
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county. The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at time of story.
4/2
8:47 a.m. - Battery - Al Tahoe Blvd - INMATE FIGHT INVOLVING MULTIPLE INMATES. VICTIM A 46-YEAR-OLD MALE, SUSPECTS THREE MEN, AGES 21, 29 AND 36.
11:25 a.m. - DUI Alcohol/Drugs - Al Tahoe Blvd - 32-YEAR-OLD FEMALE ARRESTED FOR DUI ALCOHOL.
12:39 p.m. - False Registration on Vehicle - Ottawa Dr
Heavenly employee arrested on child exploitation and pornography charges
Submitted by paula on Wed, 04/05/2017 - 6:18pm
A 26-year-old male employee at the Heavenly Mountain Resort children’s ski school was officially charged Wednesday for child exploitation and possession of child pornography after images were found on an electronic device at the resort.
Stephan L. DeGraffenreid of Gardnerville was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of possession of child pornography.
South Lake Tahoe woman sentenced to 72 months in prison for fraud and theft
Submitted by paula on Tue, 04/04/2017 - 5:20pm
Karen Rae Chapon, 47, of South Lake Tahoe was sentenced Tuesday for the crimes of insurance fraud, mortgage fraud and theft according to Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt.
Chapon is the owner of Tahoe Weddings and Events in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.
Man who brought kidnapped woman to South Lake Tahoe spending 40 years in prison
Submitted by paula on Thu, 03/16/2017 - 9:34pm
Matthew D. Muller, a 40-year-old disbarred lawyer from Orangevale who often spent time at his family cabin in the South Lake Tahoe area, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for the kidnapping Denise Hoskins at the Vallejo home she shared with her boyfriend on March 23, 2015.
Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Capt. Mark Wygant sentenced to 10 years in prison
Submitted by paula on Fri, 03/03/2017 - 5:57pm
Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Captain Mark McLeod Wygant was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 10 years in prison for transportation of child pornography
Wygant, 46, plead guilty in December.
Following an FBI and SLT Police Department investigation, Wygant was a
arrested on Jan. 29 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He had been immediately placed on administration leave but resigned just days after his arrest.
El Dorado County and Arizona residents indicted for embezzling more than $200K
Submitted by paula on Mon, 02/06/2017 - 2:50pm
Placerville resident Jeffrey Scott Davis, 59 has been charged on six counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud along with Glen Michael Martinka, 67, of Phoenix, Arizona.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment after Davis and Martinka allegedly conspired to embezzle approximately $218,000 from an organic food company by submitting false invoices between December 2008 and April 2012.
Couple convicted of 2015 mail and identity thefts in El Dorado County
Submitted by paula on Fri, 02/03/2017 - 2:06pm
San Joaquin County residents Aman Izatt, 30, and Jarrod Izatt, 35, were sentenced to over 24 years in prison on January 27 for their part in a 2015 identity theft case in El Dorado County.
El Dorado County man sentenced for attack on Lassen Park Ranger
Submitted by paula on Tue, 01/24/2017 - 10:26pm
Nicholas Martin Coberley, 45, of Pollock Pines, will be spending the next 27 months in prison for assault with a deadly weapon on a park ranger.
Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Capt. Mark Wygant pleads guilty to child porn charge
Submitted by paula on Fri, 12/16/2016 - 4:32pm
Former South Lake Tahoe Fire Captain Mark McLeod Wygant, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court today to transportation of child pornography.
Following an FBI and SLT Police Department investigation, Wygant was a
arrested on Jan. 29 2015 and has been in custody ever since. He had been immediately placed on administration leave but resigned just days after his arrest.
"I am pleased that Mr. Wygant plead guilty to his crime and the punishment will now in the hands of the criminal justice system," said SLT Fire Chief Jeff Meston.
El Dorado County Sheriff K9 retiring after 8 years on the force
Submitted by paula on Thu, 12/08/2016 - 8:48pm
After eight years of service to El Dorado County, K9 Bakus has retired.
Bakus started his career with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 and has since apprehended dangerous criminals and been responsible for taking copious amounts of narcotics off the streets.
At the beginning, the Sheriff K9 was partnered with Deputy Mike Roberts and was trained and certified in patrol operations.
El Dorado Hills tax preparers headed to jail for $1.8 million in fake claims
Submitted by paula on Fri, 12/02/2016 - 7:59pm
An unlicensed El Dorado county tax preparer was sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay $1,895,833 in restitution for conspiring to file false claims and filing false claims. Her co-conspirator will be sentenced next week.
Barbara Antonucci, 49, and her co-conspirator, Sherry Taggart, 56, of El Dorado Hills, prepared tax returns for clients seeking to maximize their refunds from the Internal Revenue Service.
Suspect in South Lake Tahoe murder changes plea to guilty
Submitted by paula on Tue, 11/22/2016 - 9:45pm
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - It was an emotional day in court Tuesday as one of the suspects in the January 30, 2016 murder of Dennis "Spike" Wright, Jr. withdrew his plea of not guilty and plead guilty to an amended criminal complaint that included four felonies surrounding Wright's murder and robbery.
South Lake Tahoe Police looking for suspect in food tampering case
Submitted by paula on Wed, 11/16/2016 - 10:09pm
An unidentified man is being sought by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) for allegedly tampering with food on at least four different occasions in the Hot Wok self-serve section of the Raley's in the Village Center at Stateline.
On Tuesday, November 15, 2016 a suspect walked into the grocery store, approached the self-serve food display, and intentionally dispensed an unknown type of contaminating substance on top of the food. The suspect then walked out of the store and left the area on foot. Officers were unable to locate the suspect.
Firefighters killed in 1926 fire to be remembered in ceremony
Submitted by paula on Tue, 09/27/2016 - 2:07pm
It was 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28 in the year 1926. Fire had broken out at the Jack Smith Ranch at the base of Clear Creek Canyon above Carson City, Nev.
Flames were high, and the fire traveled up the canyon rapidly, getting ever so close to the source of timber for all of the state's mines at Glenbrook. The fire also burned several ranches. Strong winds fanned those flames, and caused the fire to reverse itself and come down Kings Canyon. Again, it reversed itself and raced up Kings Canyon one more.
10 cited for alleged illegal contracting violations during South Lake Tahoe sting
Submitted by paula on Thu, 09/22/2016 - 8:58pm
Contractors State License Board (CSLB) investigators working with investigators from the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office cited ten men posing as licensed contractors during a recent sting operation.
Four of the individuals caught are Nevada residents, and the other six are South Lake Tahoe locals.
Posing as homeowners, investigators invited suspected unlicensed contractors to place bids on home improvement projects for a single-family home near the Tahoe Paradise Golf Course. Suspects placed bids ranging from $1,150 for interior painting to $6,000 for tile installation.
Placerville business owner pleads guilty to filing more than $60 million in tax refunds
Submitted by paula on Wed, 08/31/2016 - 7:06pm
The owner of Advanced Financial Services (AFS) in Placerville pleaded guilty to filing more than 250 false claims for refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) along with two of her employees. They all face large fines and years in jail.
August 27: 36th anniversary of Harvey's Resort bombing
Submitted by paula on Sat, 08/27/2016 - 9:22am
For those that were on the South Shore on August 27, 1980, they'll be able to tell you exactly where they were, or what they were doing when law enforcement detonated a bomb that had been left inside Harvey's Resort casino in Lake Tahoe.
Three men planted a bomb containing 1,000 pounds of dynamite inside a machine they delivered to the second floor. Successful landscaper, John Birges from Clovis, Calif., the mastermind behind the bomb, was attempting to extort $3 million from the casino, claiming he had lost $750,000 gambling there.
El Dorado County man pleads guilty to tax evasion
Submitted by paula on Fri, 08/26/2016 - 9:44pm
Briant Benson, 59, of El Dorado Hills, pleaded guilty today to tax evasion after failing to file tax returns or pay any personal income tax to the IRS, despite receiving at least $2 million dollars in income.
Susanville inmates found guilty of filing 247 false income tax returns
Submitted by paula on Fri, 08/19/2016 - 12:57pm
Daniel Allen Coats, 34, of Turlock, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $8,938 in restitution for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing false claims for federal tax refunds while in prison.
Jaycee Dugard's kidnapper now eligible for parole in 2034
Submitted by paula on Fri, 07/15/2016 - 3:22pm
Phillip Garrido is now eligible for release over 400 years early.
South Lake Tahoe man sentenced to prison for sex crimes against a minor
Submitted by paula on Thu, 07/14/2016 - 12:02pm
South Lake Tahoe resident Ronald Scott Williams was sentenced to three years in State Prison on Friday, July 8.
In El Dorado County Superior Court, the 27-year-old was found guilty of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor age 14-15.
Williams was originally arrested on September 29, 2015 on an arrest warrant for the crime committed in the County area of the South Shore on August 4, 2015. He had been out on bail until his sentencing.
Two arrested in nationwide casino credit scam
Submitted by paula on Fri, 06/03/2016 - 3:15pm
A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment Thursday against Vivian Wang, 53, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Frank Luo, 48, of Las Vegas, Nevada, charging them both with wire fraud and charging Wang with aggravated identity theft. The defendants were arrested today at their residences in Georgia and Nevada.
Douglas County law enforcement honored at Law and Order Night
Submitted by paula on Mon, 05/16/2016 - 3:43pm
Awards for outstanding contributions to their community were handed out during Friday's Law and Order Night for Douglas County law enforcement agencies.
Employees from Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Juvenile Probation, China Springs Youth Camp, DCSO Youth Explorers, Citizen Patrol, Posse, Search and Rescue, Reserves, 911 Communications, as well as State of Nevada Department of Corrections, and Nevada Highway Patrol were all honored.
Lifesaving medals
Deputies Geoff Marshall, Jesse McKone, Scott Battcher, Tyler Jones, and Les Video
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Sun, 05/15/2016 - 5:08pm
El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.
The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.
5/8
6:19 p.m. - Domestic Dispute - Wintoon Drive
5/9
11:35 a.m. - Burglary - Johnson Pass Rd - REPORTING PARTY REPORTED A BURGLARY
5/10
Letter to the Editor: Why vote for Bernie Sanders
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 11:55am
In a representative democracy, the system the United States supposedly has, the policy making is controlled by the representatives elected by the people. The idea behind representative democracy is that people will elect representatives that will serve their best interest. However, in the United States the funding for election campaigns is provided by large corporations, banks, and a handful of wealthy individuals that results in the election of representatives who serve the best interests of the large corporations, banks, and wealthy individuals.
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Sun, 04/24/2016 - 9:37am
El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.
The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.
4/17
12:50 a.m. - Vacation Rental Issue - Player Drive
8:03 a.m. - Contempt of Court - Melba Drive - 24-YEAR-OLD WOMAN ARRESTED FOR A VIOLATION OF A COURT ORDER OCCURRED.
12:50 p.m. - Petty Theft - Black Bart Ave - R/P REPORTED A PETTY THEFT REPORT FROM HER VEHICLE.
El Dorado County Sheriff's Report
Submitted by paula on Sun, 04/17/2016 - 8:07am
El Dorado County Sheriff's Office responds to calls throughout the county.
The following are calls that only pertain to the South Shore. There may be some missing calls due to sheriff's logs not being completed at press time and the story will be updated when provided.
4/10
7:02 a.m. - Found Property - A WALLET WAS RETURNED
4/11
11:31 a.m. - Death Notification - Johnson Blvd - 73-YEAR-OLD MAN DECEASED
12:30 p.m. - PREA report Al Tahoe Blvd (Prison Rape Elimination Act)
Former FOX40 producer sentenced to prison for attack on media sites
Submitted by paula on Wed, 04/13/2016 - 6:06pm
Matthew Keys, 29, former web producer and network site administrator for KTXL FOX40, a Sacramento television station, was sentenced today to two years in prison for inciting, assisting, and conducting a weeks-long campaign of online attacks against FOX40 and The Los Angeles Times, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and FBI Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller announced.
King Fire arsonist sentenced to 20 years in prison, $60 million in restitution
Submitted by paula on Fri, 04/08/2016 - 5:45pm
Arsonist Wayne Allen Huntsman was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay over $60 million in victim restitution after he pleaded guilty Friday to starting the catastrophic King Fire in 2014.
Twenty years in prison was the maximum sentence Huntsman could receive for the guilty plea of three counts of Arson to Forest Land, admitted multiple enhancements for causing injury to firefighters and destruction of multiple structures.
Historic Nevada State Prison to open for tours
Submitted by paula on Sun, 03/27/2016 - 12:50pm
Event Date:
April 16, 2016 - 3:00pm
The public will soon be able to tour the historic Nevada State Prison in Carson City. Opened in 1862, the prison opened on the site of the Warm Springs Hotel even before the territory became a state. The prison's quarry supplied the materials needed to build the State Capitol.
The Carson City Chamber of Commerce 2016 Leadership Class will offer the prison tours as a fundraiser from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 16.
With the legalization of gaming in Nevada, the prison allowed inmates to gamble in the Bull Pen, a casino that was set up in 1932 and closed in 1967.
Court rejects Jaycee Lee Dugard's lawsuit against the government
Submitted by paula on Wed, 03/16/2016 - 11:15am
The federal government cannot be held responsible for kidnapping survivor Jaycee Dugard's 1991 abduction and subsequent 18 years in captivity, an appeals court said Tuesday.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Dugard's lawsuit alleging federal parole officials should have revoked her abductor's parole well before he kidnapped her, but failed to do their jobs.
South Lake Tahoe is not immune to Human Trafficking
Submitted by paula on Sat, 03/05/2016 - 6:13pm
This is part two in a series of a look into Human Trafficking in South Lake Tahoe.
Human trafficking. Its not just a Third World problem, its not just a big city problem, and its not a poor or rich problem. There are millions around the world who are victims to human trafficking, a business that is estimated to be a $32 billion industry.
And its happening in our backyard.
The facts are sobering.
Ex-firefighter from Placerville sent to jail for five years for arson
Submitted by paula on Tue, 02/23/2016 - 6:37pm
Benjamin Cunha, 33, of Placerville, was sentenced Tuesday, February 23, 2016 to five years in prison for arson after being found guilty of setting at least 30 wildland fires during the summers of 2006 and 2007.
Two of these fires burned onto federal land. Cunha indicated that his motivation for setting the fires was to overcome boredom, to earn overtime pay for fighting the fires, and to impress his peers.
United States District Judge John A. Mendez also ordered Cunha to pay $246,862 in restitution to Cal Fire, his former employer.
Former El Dorado County Sheriff's Deputy pleads guilty to drug trafficking
Submitted by paula on Tue, 02/09/2016 - 10:23pm
Mark Zlendick, the former El Dorado County sheriff's deputy who was arrested in May, 2015 on drug charges, pleaded guilty to one charge of drug trafficking Tuesday, February 9.
Man charged for sending death threats to Placerville company
Submitted by paula on Thu, 12/17/2015 - 11:42pm
A 57-year-old man from Washington has been indicted on charges he posted threats on a popular news website that he was going to kill an officer of StemExpress, a company in Placerville, Calif. that sells stem cells and human tissue to biomedical research companies.
Scott Anthony Orton, of Puyallup, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he posted threats on July 16, 2015 after videos surfaced that supposedly showed a relationship between Planned Parenthood and StemExpress.
Redding man faces $5M fine and 40 years in prison for pot crimes
Submitted by paula on Wed, 11/18/2015 - 9:50pm
After a five–day trial, a federal jury today found John James Kash, 52, of Redding, Calif., guilty of three counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, and conspiracy to launder money, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
Eight men indicted for manufacturing and selling rifles illegally
Submitted by paula on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 8:50pm
A federal grand jury returned a 70-count indictment today against eight men, charging them with various firearms offenses involving manufacturing and dealing firearms without a license, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder announced.
