U.S. Department of Justice

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 >>

Obama Administration Bans Synthetic Weed

More than four months after voters in Colorado and Washington State legalized recreational marijuana smoking, the Obama administration has yet to announce any plans to either tolerate those developments or continue to crack down on America's homegrown marijuana industry (to the presumed delight of t ... More >>

Accused iPhone 5 Scammer Faces Federal Trial

Orange County's Robert Andrew Paniagua is building an accomplishment-loaded resume that is unrelated to his carpet cleaner career.In 2004, at the age of 19, Paniagua was convicted of DUI. Cops caught him driving under the influence again two years later. In 2007, he was convicted of lying to a cop. ... More >>

Federal Prosecutors Win Telemarketing Ban Against Orange County Businessman

Orange County businessman Roy M. Cox apparently did not know that no means no.The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has won a stipulated judgment and permanent injunction against Cox, a Santa Ana resident who ran an international, robocalling telemarketing business that routinely violated the Nationa ... More >>

Today Marks 27th Anniversary of Terrorist Bombing that Killed Arab-American Leader Alex Odeh in Santa Ana

Upon the 25th anniversary of the terrorist act that claimed the life of Alex Odeh in Santa Ana, the FBI announced that the investigation into the events surrounding the October 11, 1985 incident was still an active one. A million-dollar reward was reaffirmed for those with information that would lea ... More >>

William J. Ferry of Newport Beach Convicted of Investor Fraud Tied to Hurricane Katrina Relief

William J. Ferry, a former stock broker and investment adviser, was convicted Tuesday for his part in a scam promising investors extremely high yields from a cut of humanitarian funds for relief from disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which smacked New Orleans seven years ago today. Among those th ... More >>

Yorba Linda Business Owner Punished For Cheating Cisco Systems

A federal judge in Santa Ana has sentenced a Yorba Linda businessman to a term of probation for three years and ordered him to pay a $4,000 fine for conspiracy to commit mail fraud.Following his arrest in February, Richard Alan Glavis--the owner of Superior Computer Gear (SCG)--acknowledged his guil ... More >>

Feds Sue Owners of 3 Anaheim Buildings with Pot Clinics, Warn Others They May Be Next

"As part of an ongoing initiative against the commercial marijuana industry in California"--a.k.a. two-faced Obama's war on patients for Big Pharma--the feds today filed three asset forfeiture lawsuits targeting Anaheim clinics. "While these marijuana stores purport to be 'medical marijuana dispen ... More >>

A Closer Look at Less-than-Lethal Weapons Fired at Anaheim Residents on Saturday Afternoon

As OC Weekly reported on Saturday night, chaos ensued in Anaheim when police fired military grade less-than-lethal weapons at residents when they gathered demanding answers after an officer-involved shooting occured.  CBS News video shows the attacks and police unleashing a K-9 dog in front of ... More >>

How Much is a Dead Mexican Worth? According to the U.S. Government, Less Than a Used Hyundai

One night in July 2008, U.S. Border Patrol agents with the Department of Homeland Security found Tomas Sanchez Orzuna on a street in San Clemente, sprayed him in the face with toxic chemicals, handcuffed him, beat him, took him to a check point station and hosed him down so violently with water he d ... More >>

Cartels Say Thank You To OC's Medical Marijuana Crackdown!

This week has been full of crappy news for advocates of medical marijuana here in Orange County. First, there was the failed effort by U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) to amend the Justice Department's spending bill by preventing funding for the federal crackdown of medical mar ... More >>

Ex-California Army National Guard Commander in OC Admits He's a Scumbag Crook

A 70-year-old retired colonel in the California Army National Guard pleaded guilty today in federal court to running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 28 victims approximately $2.7 million, according to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement.Timothy Melvin Murphy, a resident of Orange and at ... More >>

Costa Mesa's "Sal the 1040 Gal" Gets Nailed For Skimming Tax Refunds From Clients

​You have to give Sally Louise Crystal big points for audacity.While on criminal probation for stealing more than $6,800 from a roommate, Crystal (AKA Sally Hernandez or, her professional nickname, "Sal the 1040 Gal") operated a brazen income tax preparation scam in Costa Mesa that ripped off her ... More >>

Why Do Mexicans Like to Beat Up Their Family Members?

[¡Ask a Mexican!] And do only Mexican boys have hang-ups about masturbation?

Feds Bust Alleged Internet Auto/Boat Sales Scam By Russians

​The U.S. Department of Justice in Los Angeles announced this afternoon that a federal grand jury has indicted six foreign nationals--including one in Costa Mesa--for operating an Internet-based sales scam that allegedly defrauded more than $4.2 million from unsuspecting shoppers since 2007.Accord ... More >>

[UPDATED with Judge's Ruling:] Justice Dept. Must Pay for Lying in Suit Against FBI by OC Muslims

​UPDATE, NOV. 18, 10:57 A.M.: "The Court must impose monetary sanctions to deter the Government from deceiving the Court again," Judge Cormac Carney of the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana writes in his Islamic Shura Council v. FBI ruling. He gave the council 14 days to come up with ... More >>

Lost Boys

New research demolishes the stereotype of the underage sex worker—and sparks an outbreak of denial among child-sex-trafficking alarmists nationwide

Dr. Alvin Yee Met 'Patients' At OC Starbucks, Allegedly Wrote Prescriptions For $600

flickr user Yosuke Hasegawa​​An Irvine-based doctor who allegedly did his shady business transactions at Starbucks was arrested last night after a year-long investigation.Alvin Ming-Czech Yee, 43, allegedly met with more than 10 "patients" a night -- usually at a Starbucks -- and wrote them pres ... More >>

Pyramid Scheme

Men boasting CIA and FBI ties met in Newport Beach to convince a mysterious billionaire to buy into a secret economy, and nothing was what it seemed

[UPDATE] Law Enforcement Descends on 'OC Weekly' Building!

Brandon Ferguson​UPDATE, 2:30 P.M., SEPTEMBER 6, 2011: It's been eerily quiet in the hallways surrounding Weekly world headquarters since our neighbors at the Law Offices of Anthony Kassas were escorted off the premises nearly three weeks ago by officials from the California Department of Justice. ... More >>

Law Enforcement Descends on OC Weekly Building!

Brandon Ferguson​Usually, when an aspiring journalist imagines the excitement of his job, he has visions of far-flung battlefields or back alley crime scenes in some gritty urban environment, not the sterile office-park building that houses the Costa Mesa newsroom where he works.But that's exactly ... More >>

Fox News Darling of Trumped-Up New Black Panther Voter Intimidation Case to Speak in Newport Beach

​J. Christian Adams, founder of the McLean, Virginia-based Election Law Center and frequent conservative media talking head, is coming to Newport Beach Wednesday to perpetuate something that has been labeled a right-wing fantasy: that New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense members intimidated P ... More >>

[UPDATED With CAIR Backing Off Allegations Against Lounge Owner] Muslim Cab Driver's Beating in Newport Beach Spurs Call for Hate-Crime Probe

MySpaceEdgar Uria​UPDATE, MARCH 31, 12:59 P.M.: The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is backing off claims that the owner of a cigar lounge was involved in the beating of a Muslim cab driver in Newport Beach.On CAIR-LA's Facebook page, the Anaheim office of the Muslim American rights o ... More >>

[UPDATED] Federal Government Will No Longer Defend Defense of Marriage Act

​UPDATE, FEB. 23, 4:18 P.M.: The couple who filed the first marriage equality case in California and later became petitioners to overturn Prop 8, Diane Olson and Robin Tyler, said today's decision by the Obama administration to stop defending the federal government's anti-gay marriage law is "a hu ... More >>

[UPDATED:] Crystal Cathedral's High Salaries Questioned in Bankruptcy Proceedings

​Update, November 19, 2:50 p.m.: Creditors in the Crystal Cathedral bankruptcy proceedings have filed court documents that question the high salary of yet another employee.This one is is paid to the son-in-law of the church's Chief Financial Officer Fred Southard, whose $132,019 housing allowance ... More >>

Election Monitor Named for People's Republic of Orange County

​An election monitor has been appointed for the People's Republic of Orange County. No, Jimmy Carter isn't coming Tuesday.  Assistant United States Attorney Dennis Mitchell, as he has done before, will serve as the District Election Officer for the Central District of California, which includ ... More >>

Feds See a Red Door, Want to Paint It Black

​When Mick Jagger saw a red door, he wanted to paint it black, as is widely acknowledged (by me) in the greatest Rolling Stones song of all time (any girl who claims otherwise gets cut!).So, the federal investigation of the San Gabriel Valley-based Red Door gang--which just ... More >>

Asylum Denied

Only a fraction of Mexicans get U.S. asylum.

Judge Knocks Down Meat of Arizona's SB 1070

She ruled WHAT!?!​A federal judge has blocked the part of Arizona's controversial SB 1070 law that allows police to ask people if they are in the country legally.The tough new immigration law that has sparked national debate is scheduled to take effect Thursday. However, the ask/you'd-better-tell ... More >>

Prepare to be Screwed: Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger Approved

When it comes to the law, my knowledge is pretty much limited to drinking, drugs and anything else that at some point in my life might have gotten me fined, incarcerated or both. Despite my ignorance, though, I'm fairly certain that the Ticketmaster-Live Nation coupling will not only result in many ... More >>

Justice Department Probing OC Jail Brutality

Ex-Sheriff Carona to Feds: Please Clean up the Jails before I start serving time!​Front page stories in both the LA Times and Register today report that the U.S. Justice Department is investigating Orange County's jail system in the wake of recent brutality allegations. "Officials from the departm ... More >>

[¡Ask a Mexican!] Are You Still Beating Your Señora?

Sheriff Mike Carona Prosecutor Leaves Department of Justice

Photo by Christopher VictorioKen Julian Leaving DOJTomorrow is the last day as a federal prosecutor for Ken Julian, co-counsel in the successful prosecution of ex-Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona. Julian is joining the powerhouse private firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, he recently announced to ... More >>

Cypress Mosque Hate Crime Gets Twittered

Here are some random comments on Twitter regarding the anti-Muslim graffiti at the Cypress mosque Nick Schou previously blogged about:  ...Obama gave a powerful speech in Cairo on the US-Middle East relations & an Islamic center in OC was immedtly defaced in a hate crime...   Our milit ... More >>

Janet Napolitano's Sorry Service in Arizona Makes Her a Terrible Choice for Homeland Security Secretary

WEB EXCLUSIVE!

[Pucker Up] Ladies Love Gay Male Porn

[¡Ask a Mexican!®] Is It Racist to Call a Mexican Working at a Coffee Shop a 'Beaner'?

OC Family Charging OK City Bombing Cover-Up Wins Lawsuit Against Uncle Sam!

The family of an Orange County man who died under mysterious circumstances in an Oklahoma federal prison more than a decade ago has just won its lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Department. On March 31, the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma ruled that the family of Kenneth Trent ... More >>

OC Homewreckers Hung Out to Dry

According to a Department of Justice press release and reported by the Register, Charles Head, a 33-year-old from La Habra and several accomplices have been charged with illegal activities purportedly using the latest mortgage scam to come through the pipeline. One can only expect more scams to ... More >>

XM Merges With Sirius

Earlier today, the Justice Department approved Sirius Satellite Radio's proposed $4.59 billion (!) aquisition of satellite old-schooler XM Satellite Radio. This decision created one single US satellite radio provider. In response to questions fearing a monopoly, the Justice Dept. said " the combin ... More >>

[Moxley Confidential] Why Did Wayne Gross Recuse Himself From the Mike Carona Investigation?

Foxes, Henhouses, and the Fashion Police

Just like breaking a leg can take your mind off a toothache, the major traumas the Bush administration has inflicted on the body politic make it easy to forget the lesser damage it's doing.  Or, as Ruth Marcus puts in her column in today's Washington Post, "The tornado of disastrous headlines - ... More >>

Osama's Gun

How to not build bin Ladens AK-47 without even trying

Porn-secution

The Bush administration has a new weapon in its war on porn: stalkers

OC's 31 Scariest People

Now 25 percent more terrifying!

Letters

Suspicious Minds

Local libertarians look licked

While You Were Freaking

Screaming Bedlam

Horrifying stories ripped from the pages of todays newspapers

Letter to Shredder