FRESNO, Calif. - Emil Vladimirov Babadjov, 32, a Bulgarian and U.S. dual-national formerly residing in San Francisco, California, pleaded guilty today to distributing controlled substances, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin announced. According to court documents, Babadjov, using the...

WASHINGTON - The United States Drug Enforcement Administration will kick off its annual Red Ribbon Campaign, the nation’s largest drug prevention effort, on October 23. The National Red Ribbon Campaign began after drug traffickers in Mexico tortured and brutally murdered Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in March 1985. Red Ribbon...

WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice has designated Robert W. Patterson as the Drug Enforcement Administration acting administrator. Patterson was appointed as DEA’s principal deputy administrator in November 2016. In that role, he served as DEA’s chief operating officer, overseeing all of the agency’s enforcement, intelligence, administrative, and regulatory activities...

SAN FRANCISCO - King Edward Harris II was sentenced today to five years in prison for distributing fentanyl pills, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin. Harris, 35, of Oxnard, pleaded guilty on April 7, 2017, to six counts...

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Noel Carter, of Bakersfield, was arrested today for conspiring with Bakersfield Police Department officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana that Diaz and Mara seized in the course of their duties as police officers. Carter is scheduled to be arraigned today in Fresno...

FRESNO, Calif. - Erik Harald Moje, 40, a California-licensed attorney and resident of Turlock, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to nine months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for importing raw anabolic steroids from China, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert...

FRESNO, Calif. - On Thursday, following a 10-month-long investigation targeting local criminal street gangs in Fresno conducted by several federal law enforcement agencies and the Fresno Police Department, 15 defendants were arrested on federal charges and at least 14 defendants were arrested on state charges. The various charges include drug...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - On August 31, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Elijah Lee Richter, 26, of Camino, charging him with distribution of a controlled substance known as 25i-nBOME that caused death, and possession of a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to...

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California entered judgment against fugitive defendant Candelaria Dagandan Vazquez and her surety Candelaria Antoinette Sapp in the amount of $50,000, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and DEA Special Agent-in-Charge John J. Martin. The Honorable Susan Illston...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Chi Meng Yang, 31, of Montague, and his sister Gaosheng Laitinen, 36, of Mt. Shasta, were charged today for conspiring to commit bribery, bribery of a public official, conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to the criminal complaint, on...