Internal Revenue Service

Safieh Fard, Mortgage Scammer, Gets 5 Years After Guilty Plea, Withdrawal and Conviction

A Newport Beach jewelry store owner, who withdrew her guilty plea in a family mortgage scam case just before sentencing only to be found guilty in Santa Ana federal court anyway, has learned her fate. U.S. District Court Judge Cormac Carney sentenced 52-year-old Safieh Fard to 63 months in prison.

UPDATED: Federal Prosecutor Booted From Controversial Organized-Crime Case

A U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor--who aggressively pursued a Los Angeles-based, Armenian organized-crime investigation with tentacles in Orange County but ran afoul of a federal magistrate--has been booted from the case. Though exceptionally rare inside Orange County's Ronald Reagan Federal ... More >>

Bank Settles Ponzi-Scheme-Related Lawsuit Tied to Gun-Planting Case

Business writer Ronald Campbell at the Orange County Register has done a good job of tracking the fallout that continues to unfold involving a roughly $1 billion Ponzi scheme tied to a gun-planting case first exposed by the Weekly. Last week, we reported that a jury awarded Dr. Michael Fitzbiggons $ ... More >>

Kirk Robert Lotzgesell, Ex-Cop Who Stole $60k from Cop Charity, Cops to Being a Stinkin' Thief

​A former La Habra police officer, who misrepresented himself as an active duty cop on medical leave when he was given a volunteer treasurer position with a nonprofit police football charity he would go on to steal $60,000 from, cut a plea deal that should have him spending a year in jail and m ... More >>

Igor Olenicoff of Laguna Sued by Ex-Banker Who Helped Billionaire Hide $200 mil from IRS

It's getting so you can't keep track of the Igor Olenicoff lawsuit related to his investments with UBS AG bank without a scorecard.In the latest twist, the billionaire who lives in Laguna Beach and oversees Olen Properties real estate in Newport Beach is being sued by the bank employee who helped hi ... More >>

Is John Eastman Hiding Homo-Haters?

Former presidential candidate Fred Karger wants the former Chapman University law professor to reveal who's donating money to his fight against gay marriage

Capistrano Terrace Mobilehome Park Residents Successfully Save Their Homes ... for $8.25 mil

In these days of shady foreclosures, robo-bank calls for mortgage payments before your mortgage is due and other assorted example of Mitt Romney's pals trying to royally fuck with us just trying to make ends meet comes a bit of happy news. About 150 families in San Juan Capistrano banded together to ... More >>

Lawsuit: OC's All Republican Supervisors Designed Welfare System To Cheat Indigent $38 Each a Month

Three homeless individuals are suing Orange County, CA for systematically crafting a welfare system that unfairly discourages applications and cheats qualified indigent people from receiving proper financial and medical assistance. That's according to an 18-page class action lawsuit that blasts the ... More >>

Kirk Robert Lotzgesell: Ex-Cop Accused of Stealing $60K from Police Football Charity

​A former La Habra police officer misrepresented himself as an active duty cop on medical leave when he was given a volunteer treasurer position with the Orange County Cop Bowl Association, a football charity from which Kirk Robert Lotzgesell allegedly stole $60,000, according to prosecutors.The W ... More >>

Obama's War On Weed

In a strange about-face, the president tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees

Dave Gilliard Defends Secret, Anti-Barbara Boxer Campaign

​This morning I posted a brief story linking to Sacramento Bee coverage of a secretive, 2010 campaign effort against Sen. Barbara Boxer, and my post has been protested by a participant as inaccurate.Here's the background: According to the Bee's Dan Morain, a group called Taxpayer Network raised an ... More >>

Joel Lee Craft Jr., Seller of Telemarketing Leads, Indicted in $25 Million Indie Movie Investment Scam

​David Mamet's independent movie (and play that preceded it) Glengarry Glen Ross is about slick salesmen using underhanded tactics to rope in would-be property investors culled from what is known as "lead lists."  The CEO of a San Clemente information company that sells such lists to telemark ... More >>

Five Things You Didn't Know About Lil Jon

​Take some "shots, shots, shots, shots" and get crunk with Lil Jon this Sunday at Sutra, when the DJ representing Atlanta makes an appearance. Lil Jon paved his way to fame with hip-hop group, The Eastside Boyz and the song "Get Low" (which became so popular even Sandra Bullock paid a tribute to t ... More >>

MoveOn.org Comes to the Rescue of Taxes Today

​Taxes must be suffering from battered women's syndrome about now. We're all like, "Aw come on, baby. You know I loves ya," Then--BAM!--corporations and rich people rap taxes upside the head, saying they ain't returning to Clinton-era levels. Then we get all lovey-dovey again and--WHAM!--House Rep ... More >>

Mike Carona: No More Excuses

[Moxley Confidential] Federal Appeals Court upholds the ex-sheriff's conviction, and he's finally headed to prison

Ninth Circuit Upholds Sheriff Mike Carona's Corruption Conviction

Teflon Mikey loses his magic​Orange County's long, disgusting law enforcement nightmare is finally over.Disgraced ex-Sheriff Mike Carona, once absurdly hailed as "America's sheriff" by CNN's Larry King, is going to federal prison.This morning an all Republican panel of federal judges at the Ninth ... More >>

Feds Arrest Ex-OC Man in Massive Tax Refund Scheme

​News agencies are reporting that a former Orange County resident orchestrated a $763 million tax conspiracy that may have defraud the IRS and U.S. taxpayers of more than $10 million.According to the Associated Press, federal prosecutors in Seattle have charged Ronald L. Brekke, a 54-year-old form ... More >>

Nativo Lopez Cries 'Racist,' Appeals Court Cries 'Defamation'

[Moxley Confidential] Split decision in Overhill Farms case has chilling free-speech implications, dissenting justice asserts

Slade Smiley and Gretchen Rossi Position for Real Housewives of Orange County Spin-off

​It was reported way back in February that The Real Housewives of Orange County cast members Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley were engaged, so it seems rather odd that his proposal to her was just filmed by Bravo cameras for the final episode of season six, which won't premiere until January 2011. ... More >>

Sunday News Notes

​News highlights include:Meg Whitman's cash is buying her second placeCathleen Decker of the LA Times reports that new polling shows Jerry Brown gaining a "slight edge" over Meg Whitman and that Barbara Boxer has "opened a wider margin over GOP nominee Carly Fiorina in the race for U.S. Senate. ... More >>

Supervisor John Moorlach Defends Crooked Ex-Sheriff Mike Carona

Moorlach is suffering from frightening amnesia​This afternoon on a radio talk show, Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach defended former Sheriff Mike Carona who was arrested by FBI and IRS agents and convicted of public corruption in 2009 after a federal trial.Moorlach, a conservative Republican ... More >>

Have a DREAM

[¡Ask a Mexican!] Special High-School-Graduation Edition

Video: Willie Nelson Duet with Snoop in (Where Else?) Amsterdam

​Surely fans are excited to see Willie Nelson--country music's champion of the cheebah-- perform tonight with some special guests at the Grove of Anaheim. We're not making any predictions, but there's a pretty good chance Snoop Dogg could make a cameo. Don't laugh, it's happened before.

Haidl Gang Rape Notable Moment

Greg Haidl​"Sit down and shut up."--Orange County Superior Court Judge Francisco P. Briseno five years ago this week to Joseph Cavallo, the Irvine-based criminal defense lawyer who represented Gregory Haidl in the sensational videotaped gang rape case involving an unconscious 16-year-old girl. Cav ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Trabuco Canyon's Lila Rizk Guilty in Massive Real Estate Fraud

UPDATE: At her sentencing in a Los Angeles federal court today, Trabuco Canyon's Lila Rizk received a three-year prison term for her role in a massive mortgage fraud scheme that caused tens of millions of dollars in losses to federally insured banks.​A federal jury on Aug. ... More >>

Which OC Sheriff's Candidate Has The Best Campaign Website?

​In just 133 days, Orange County residents will have their first opportunity to vote for sheriff after the FBI and IRS arrest and corruption conviction of Sheriff Mike Carona. There are three candidates at this point: Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, a former Los Angeles County Sheriff's official who was ... More >>

Mortgage Scheme is "Most Sophisticated and Arrogant Fraud" Judge David O. Carter Has Seen

​Jared Tornow, 34, of San Clemente, was sentenced this morning to nearly six years in federal prison for what U.S. District Judge David O. Carter called one of the most sophisticated and arrogant frauds he has ever seen.According to court documen ... More >>

American Third Position Party Treasurer a Fugitive?

Long Beach St. prof and American TP Director Kevin MacDonald: Nice to know he doesn't mind working with criminals!​Part two of our tres-parte series this week on happenings in OC's white-power circle-jerk. Click here for yesterday's dispatch...It's been a momentous couple of days in this new year ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

Accountant Gets 4 Years for Stealing $500,000 From Trust Fund to Pay for Doll Collection

​A Laguna Hills accountant hired to manage a brother and sister's trust fund has been sentenced to four years in state prison for stealing more than a half million dollars to pay for a doll collection.  Margot Jean Strawn, 58, had pleaded guilty to two felony counts ... More >>

Federal Panel Gives Ex-Sheriff Mike Carona Leniency

Break out the vodka, boys!​As Orange County's Republican sheriff, Mike Carona liked to talk tough about granting no mercy to convicted felons, but ever since the ex-top cop turned convicted felon himself earlier this year he's been begging for leniency.This afternoon, the Ninth Circuit--the nation ... More >>

Anti-Semitic KPFK "La Causa" Show Suspended, Best Buds La Voz de Aztlan and Others Whine

Cebada, in happier times, railing against whites instead of Jews**Updated, with new info on the bottom...Oh, happy day! KPFK-FM 90.7 management has suspended the anti-Semitic hatefest called "La Causa" for six weeks for the obvious reasons, a week after the Jewish Journal published a devastating exp ... More >>

Nonprofits Help Low-Income Families File Tax Returns, Get Credits

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, Orange County United Way and the Legal Aid Society of Orange County have teamed to sponsor Free Community Tax Days to help families file their income taxes and claim tax credits they may not be aware they are eligible for. Particular focus will be directed ... More >>

Barbara Coe Continues To Hate Muslims--And Now, Sikhs?!

This month's meeting of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform promises to be a blast, and not just because it's always a funhouse whenever CCIR head Barbara Coe (recently described by frequent commentator Baxter as "a spent cigarette butt with arms"--HILARIOUS) opens her gnarled mouth. Mus ... More >>

Saint Mike Carona?

"He worked hard for you. He was a tireless worker. He worked all the time. He did great things. He helped at-risk kids and he did so much for the vulnerable people in our community." --Exasperated, red-faced lawyer Jeffrey Rawitz (pictured) wrapping up an eight hour closing argument today in h ... More >>

6 Observations about Ex-Sheriff Mike Carona's corruption trial

1. If it's his decision to make, indicted ex-Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, who is a superbly confident man with rare charisma, will testify in his public corruption trial. 2. Although the FBI and IRS appear to have nailed Debra V. Hoffman, Carona's top mistress, on bankruptcy fra ... More >>

Controversial Philanthropist Michael Scott Kerr's New Career as a Wrapper

They Got the Sheriff

OC Sheriff Michael S. Carona’s reign has been equal parts tragedy and comedy. With his indictment, it enters its final act.

Wednesday's Headlines & Surprises: Exclusive Carona Wiretap Transcript!

Carona Should Resign? Absolutely not. There is no telling which clown would takeover from the cesspool that contains Carona’s upper management. Besides, as an investigative journalist, I’d mourn the loss of a character like Mike Carona sitting atop the sheriff’s department. Sure, he’s dirty ... More >>

New Reviews

Blades of Glory; Dating Games People Play; First Snow; Meet the Robinsons

Corruption breeds bargains

Tired of the way your home looks? Think a 32 ft. long Oriental rug would spruce the place up? Then tomorrow is your lucky day, because tomorrow at 9 a.m., some of felonious ex-San Diego Congressman Duke Cunningham's ill-gotten gains will be auctioned off. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune: T ... More >>

This Week in Full Nelsons

Willie Nelson

Randy Revolutionaries

Stephen Lemons tries keeping his shirt clean at Mirabeau

The Loco-Motion

On the pot with Mark Farner

We Blow

In Praise of Faux Castrati

And list in the lines in Willie Nelsons face

You Can't Take This With You

Populist politics equals pure poop in this 1938 comedy

October-December

You Gotta Keep 'em Separated

Raises From The Dead

Chris Cox's camouflaged class warfare