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Police & Public Safety

Tragic Accident Takes Life of Sergeant of Sacramento Sheriff's Department

On August 6, 2009, at approximately 1:00 p.m., off-duty Sergeant Kelly Lara, a 43 year old employed with the Sacramento Sheriffs Department was driving a black Toyota MR2 on westbound I-80 at Longview Drive. A 2009 Freightliner tractor/trailer driven by 38 year old Lori Nieves from Connecticut was merging onto westbound I-80 at Longview from the right shoulder into the #3 lane. As traffic in the area observed the big rig merging, witnesses stated that a vehicle made an unsafe lane change into the path of the Toyota causing Lara to take evasive movement and lose control of her vehicle. While out of control, her vehicle spun clockwise and the drivers’ side of her vehicle struck the left rear of the big rig. Lara sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Lara was enroute to work at the Sacramento International Airport when the collision occurred. She is a 15- year veteran with the Sheriff’s Department.

CHP dispatch received calls of a red vehicle driving recklessly in this area prior to the collision. With the assistant from the Williams CHP area, the driver and vehicle have been located and the investigation is still on going.

Getting Ahead = Being Prepared

I’ve always wondered how you actually know when you’re “ahead”. I hear people constantly remark how they are trying to get “ahead” with regard to finances, dieting, school, work, holidays – even weddings! But, how do you know when you’ve reached “ahead”.

I’ve got the answer…you’ve reached ahead when you look back and realize you’re alive and safe and so is your family! Now THAT’S a pretty powerful “ahead” success story. We can help you achieve that kind of success. The Metro Fire Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is a FREE training offered to citizens who live or work in Sacramento County – children ages 13 – 17 welcome with an adult/guardian. CERT is a realistic approach to disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. The next course begins October 16th and will be held at Metro Fire Station 21, 7641 Greenback Lane. Metro Fire CERT also offers a 2-hour free training on Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness – we will bring this training to you! For more information or to register for the class: 916-566-4381; cert@smfd.ca.gov or http://www.smfd.ca.gov/.

So your diet actually made you gain five pounds, your bridesmaid dresses gave your friends a reason to hold a bonfire and you took a wrong turn on your vacation and your kids have vowed never to let you forget it – there are worse things that could happen…you could be behind on getting ahead in a disaster and possibly lose everything that is important to you…your family’s safety. Call Metro Fire CERT today – Get Ahead on Being Prepared!

Folsom Man Arrested in High Yield Investment Fraud Scheme

Release Date February 28, 2008

Sacramento, CA: Steve K. Wilson, aka Stefan Andre Wilson, age 44, was arrested yesterday evening without incident at his home located at 730 Glen Mady Way, Folsom, California, on charges related to a fraudulent high yield investment program. Drew Parenti, Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento FBI and Scott O’Briant, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, announced the arrest.

According to allegations contained in the affidavit in support of the complaint, Wilson managed a hedge fund operating under the names Christians in Crisis Investment Fund, Shake the Nations and Opus Capital Holdings. Wilson solicited individuals to invest in what he described as a high risk hedge fund which, based on the investment agreement, promised investors a 2% monthly return (24% annual return) on their investment. The agreement also gave the investors the ability to withdraw earnings or after one year, the investor could ask for the return of their principal.

Investigators determined that Wilson maintained two financial accounts associated with Christians in Crisis (CIC). Investor contributions were deposited into a Washington Mutual (WaMu) account in the name of CIC Investment Fund. A portion of the money was then transferred into an Ameritrade brokerage account in the name of CIC International. An analysis of these two accounts demonstrates that the CIC Investment Fund operated as a Ponzi scheme.

During the period of March 2006 through July 2007, approximately $9 million was deposited into the WaMu account. These deposits were in the form of personal checks, cashier’s checks and wire transfers from various investors and were payable to CIC Investment Fund. Approximately $6.4 million was transferred from the WaMu account to the Ameritrade account where Steve Wilson engaged in day trading in the stock market. The Ameritrade brokerage account sustained approximately $5.1 million in trading losses. Of the roughly $3.85 million of remaining money in the WaMu account, Wilson withdrew at least $1.1 million for personal expenses and disbursed approximately $2.06 million to investors as capital appreciation or earnings. These payments were not the result of earnings and appear to be lulling payments to investors so as not to arouse suspicion. The capital appreciation or earnings payments were made with new investor’s money.

On February 15, 2008, Special Agents with the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation executed search and seizure warrants on Wilson’s home and business. A lis pendens has been filed against Wilson’s residence and items seized pursuant to the seizure warrant included a 2007 Porsche Cayman, a 2006 Sea Ray vessel, a brokerage account and a bank account.

Wilson was booked into custody last night and will make his initial appearance in federal court today at 2:00 p.m. in Sacramento, California.

Dexter McNamara Receives FBI Community Leadership Award

Release Date February 23, 2008

Sacramento, CA: The Sacramento FBI announced February 25, 2008 that Dexter McNamara is the recipient of the 2007 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. The award, given annually, recognizes the achievements of individuals or organizations in the area of drug and violence education and prevention. Mr. McNamara, for the past 13 years, has been the Director of the Interfaith Service Bureau (ISB), an organization dedicated to addressing human needs in the community and fostering greater understanding, acceptance and cooperation among people of different faiths.

The ISB, incorporated in 1920 as the Federation of Churches, eventually became known as the Interfaith Service Bureau in 1978. During his 13 years as Director, Mr. McNamara has seen the religious community in Sacramento grow and change considerably bringing with it the challenges of ministering to the diverse needs of people in the Capital City. Some of the ways the ISB has helped people of different religious backgrounds discover the common call of faith to work for justice, mercy and compassion include: bringing faith groups together to foster understanding and trust; working together to feed, clothe, and house people; providing faith and values programming on the Religious Coalition for Cable Television channel; helping lead local disaster preparedness and response efforts; and working with various programs to help children, youth and families.

Drew Parenti, Special Agent in Charge of the Sacramento FBI, said “Dexter McNamara was the first person from the religious community to call and welcome me to Sacramento and he has been a guiding hand for me during my tenure here. He has played an integral role in making our community safer for everyone and has opened many doors for the FBI helping us effectively communicate with the various inter-faith communities in Sacramento. He has been a great partner to the FBI and the work he does is more important now than it ever has been”.

The ISB also works in conjunction with many other programs in the community including: Opening Doors; Building Unity; Habitat for Humanity: the Capital Unity Council; the Child Abuse Prevention Council; WEAVE; the Healthy Marriage Project; California Interfaith Power & Light; and the U.S. Attorney General’s Violence Prevention Task Force.

Dexter McNamara said “It gives me great hope when I see people from many different religious and ethnic/cultural backgrounds and from many different agencies and organizations working together to create a safe, just, healthy and compassionate community.” The presentation of the award was February 27, 2008.

Firefighters Shake Boots For Charity

Firefighters “Fill the Boot for Burns” for the Firefighters Burn Institute

Firefighters volunteeried to “Fill the Boot for Burns” at Sunrise Mall from February 15th through February 18th, collecting donations to assure that the best possible burn treatment and burn recovery programs will continue to be available to anyone unfortunate enough to suffer a serious burn injury. Firefighters have held this unique fundraiser benefiting the Firefighters Burn Institute each February for the past 14 years. In addition to the location at Sunrise Mall, over 50 fire agencies in 14 counties through Northern California will also held Firefighters “Fill the Boot for Burns” events.

During President’s Day weekend over 200 off-duty firefighters from Sacramento City, Sacramento Metro, Stockton Fire and other local fire departments spent four days and hundreds of hours shaking their boots and volunteering their time to collect donations at the intersection of Sunrise Blvd. and Greenback Lane in Citrus Heights to “Fill the Boot for Burns”. According to Patty Neifer, Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute, “It is amazing how fast a few dollars at a time can add up to make a significant difference in the lives of those affected by the tragedy of a serious burn injury. The generous donations made by motorists driving by Sunrise Mall at last year’s boot drive totaled over $130,000. Every dollar dropped into the boot of a firefighter is important.”

Donations collected during annual Boot Drives have made it possible for FFBI to pledge one million dollars toward the construction of a new Regional Burn Center at U.C. Davis Medical Center scheduled to open in 2010. The new 7,900 square foot, 12-bed burn unit will provide comprehensive care to burn patients throughout inland northern California, northwest Nevada and southern Oregon.

The Firefighters Burn Institute (FFBI) was founded in 1973 by Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Local 522 and has grown into the area’s largest firefighter-run charity. The Firefighters Burn Institute helped establish the first burn unit in Sacramento in 1974 and continues to donate medical equipment, fund burn research and provide free burn recovery programs, including an annual summer camp for young burn survivors and a new “Little Heroes” preschool burn camp scheduled for Octobe

You can get additional information about the Firefighters Burn Institute by calling 916-739-8525.