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This week, agents noticed an SUV driving on the I-5 Freeway that was not handling well, so they followed the car for about 20 minutes. They developed reasonable suspicion that something was wrong, and stopped the car. After speaking with the driver, they saw several bundles of marijuana inside the vehicle. The driver, an illegal immigrant, was arrested immediately. Drug Enforcement Agents searched the car and found about 30 bundles of marijuana weighing about 839 pounds, inside the vehicle. The estimated street value if those drugs had been sold would have been about $500,000.

Possession of marijuana with the intent to sell is a serious crime. Often, the drivers have no plan to sell the drugs and are often just making a delivery for someone else. Unfortunately for this driver, if he is convicted of this crime, he is likely facing a long time in prison. A good defense attorney may be able to argue that the search was illegal by questioning officers about the purpose of the traffic stop. If the search was unlawful, the fruits of the search (the drugs) would not be admissible in trial as evidence and charges would likely be dropped.

Whether you live in Orange, Garden Grove or San Clemente, if you are charged with drug possession, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Jason Le Tran was arrested this week on suspicion of using stolen credit cards to buy over $11,000 worth of makeup. Tran was using stolen credit car information from around the U.S. and then ordering makeup online through Sephora’s website. The stolen goods were shipped to three apartments in Costa Mesa and to his partner in Vietnam. The products were then sold on eBay. Tran was caught after a detective posed as a delivery man and observed Tran picking up the stolen goods. After searching his house, detectives found about $4,000 worth of unopened makeup, so they quickly arrested him. He will be charged with identity theft and grand theft.

Identity theft is the taking of someone’s name or personal information to use it for an unlawful purpose. If you are a victim of identity theft, this site contains useful tips on how to handle the matter. If you are a suspect of identity theft, you will likely be charged with a felony and are looking at serious prison time. Whether you live in Anaheim, Laguna Wood, and Irvine, if you are charged with identity theft or any other type of fraud, call an experienced criminal defense attorney right away.

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Kelly Christine Alaniz, a bus driver for Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, has been arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary. Allegedly, Alaniz was in the girl’s locker room when an employee saw her looking through someone’s purse. The students who play sports often leave their purses and personal belongings in the locker room during practice or games. The employee reported what they witnessed Alaniz doing and an investigation started. Police found out that earlier in that week, another student had reported that $150 had gone missing from her purse that she left in the locker room. The crime is still being investigated and she has not yet been charged.

Commercial burglary usually involves the theft of items inside of a non-residential building. The prosecution must prove that the person came into the building with the intent to commit the crime. If the value of the item stolen is less than $400, it is normally treated as a misdemeanor charge. Whether you live in Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch or Yorba Linda, if you are charged with burglary, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Last week, the La Habra Police Department was looking into a possible case of animal cruelty. Allegedly, an off-duty firefighter was at home with his girlfriend, when his girlfriend’s dog came up to him and bit him. He got so angry that he punched the dog. The dog was severely injured so the veterinarian decided to euthanize the dog. Once the investigation is complete, if there is enough evidence to prove the firefighter did this, he will be charged with animal cruelty.

Animal cruelty can be an infraction, a misdemeanor or a felony. Most of the time, this charge is accompanied by a fine. In extreme cases, there will be prison time for the offense. Here, it seemed like an accident that occurred out of anger and will likely just be a misdemeanor violation. Whether you live in Irvine, Laguna Niguel or Villa Park, if you are charged with animal cruelty, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Rigoberto Contreras, of Santa Ana, was in the Piccolo Bar on Sunday night. Allegedly, Contreras was harassing female employees at the bar so the security guard told him to leave. While Contreras was being escorted out, he started becoming violent with the security guard and called out to his friends at the bar to help him. About six men got into the fight and started assaulting the guard. At one point, Contreras grabbed the security officer’s baton and started hurting him with it. Police arrived and the security guard and Contreras were taken to the hospital. Contreras was then arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and is now in jail on $25,000 bail.

Assault with a deadly weapon is defined as an assault done with a deadly weapon or with an amount of force that is likely to cause great bodily injury. Assault with a deadly weapon can be a misdemeanor or felony and penalties depend on the type of weapon used and the amount of harm to the victim. Additionally, a conviction could lead to a strike under the California Three Strike’s law. Whether you live in Tustin, Newport Beach or Fullerton, if you are charged with assault, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Tooraj Aghminyoni Nakhei, of Oregon, met a woman in 2003 that he started to date online. In 2007, Nakhei flew from Oregon to Orange County to meet this woman. She agreed to meet him in a Costa Mesa hotel restaurant for dinner. He then told her he had flowers for her in his room, so she followed him up and he then raped her. She said she felt so embarrassed that she did not report the rape right away.

Over the next year and a half, the victim claims that Nakhei kept calling her and emailing her and her family. In December of 2007, the victim noticed Nakhei stalking her so she got a restraining order against him. He kept telling her not to tell police what happened and would sometimes be apologetic, while other times being aggressive and rude. In March of this year, he tried to get into her car and that is when she called police and reported the incident.

An Orange County jury found Nakhei guilty of felony forcible rape, felony forcible oral copulation, felony stalking, felony dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and a misdemeanor charge of disobeying a court order. This week, he was sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison.

Whether you live in Fullerton, La Palma or Laguna Niguel, if you are charged with rape, call an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney right away.

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On Wednesday, U.S. Border Patrol Agents noticed a suspicious looking car driving through San Clemente. The driver pulled into a rest stop and Agents questioned him. During questioning, they realized that he was an illegal immigrant so they decided to search his car. Agents and a K-9 searched the car and found 13 bundles of cocaine hidden under the door panels of the car. The total weight of the cocaine was about 36 pounds, which, if sold, would have a street value of $360,000. The driver and the cocaine were seized. The Agents will likely charge him with drug possession with intent to sell. After he serves his prison time here, he will likely get deported.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents noticed the recent trend in cocaine seizures this year. They claim that from October of 2008 to October of 2009, seizures have increased 162%. I think that drugs are more prevalent throughout the state because of the tough economy. Many people are getting laid off and resort to drug sales to provide for themselves and their families. Whether you live in Laguna Beach, Fullerton or Santa Ana, if you are charged with drug possession, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Amonullah Sakhi was taken into custody this week on suspicion of indecent exposure. A woman walking to her child’s elementary school in September claimed she saw Sakhi standing in his door way staring at her. When she looked over at him, he exposed himself. When Sakhi was arrested, he admitted he had done this to several women as they walked by. If convicted for these charges, he may have to spend time in jail, pay fines and take workshops and classes.

In 2004, Sakhi plead guilty to two counts of lewd conduct in public. Sakhi is not on the sex offender list since lewd conduct does not require registration. Indecent exposure is a serious crime because it is often beleived that people who exhibit this type of behavior are also more prone to rape and molest. Whether you live in Brea, Newport Beach or Dana Point, if you are charged with sex crimes, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you in fighting these charges or lowering your sentence.

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In February of last year, Paige Looney let her two boys swim in the pool in their backyard in Anaheim while she drank alcohol. Her 13-month-old son Eric and his four-year-old brother were swimming in the pool when suddenly Eric started drowning. Looney did not notice her son drowning though. When Looney’s 12-year-old daughter came home from school and saw her brother in the pool, she called 911 immediately. When paramedics arrived, Looney had pulled Eric out of the pool and was attempting to give him CPR but it was too late and Eric had passed away.

Looney was initially charged with murder but plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter instead. She has already spent a year and a half in jail and will not have to spend one more year there, before being released. She was also ordered to complete a two year residential drug treatment program.

It is very important to keep an eye on your children at all times, especially near water. There are thousands of babies that drown in pools and bathtubs yearly, even when a parent turns around for just a second. Since Looney was careless and negligent in watching her child, she has to pay legal consequences for it. Whether you live in Tustin, Orange or Aliso Viejo, if you are charged with manslaughter, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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Susana Duran had been working for a 92-year-old woman in Laguna Woods since June as a caretaker. Allegedly, while working there, Duran stole at least $35,000 from her client. Duran would take the woman’s credit card and pin number from her nightstand and withdraw $1,000 at a time and then put it in her personal bank account. She would then send the money in her account to her family in Mexico. She would also buy things with the credit cards and when the bills came in the mail, Duran would not show the client.

One day, Duran was sick so a substitute caretaker came to the victim’s home to take care of her. A credit card bill came and the substitute caretaker showed the client. The client did not recognize many of the charges and so she called the company that had placed Duran in her home. An investigation was launched and police found out that at least $35,000 had already been stolen. Investigators claim that by the time the investigation is over, they expect to find around $100,000 stolen. Duran was arrested and is being held in jail until trial.

If charged and convicted of theft and fraud of an elderly person, Duran will likely have to spend a few years in prison. Whether you live in La Palma, Yorba Linda or Huntington Beach, if you are charged with theft, fraud, or elder abuse, call an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist you.

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