The Sheriff's Blogger

DOCTOR SENTENCED TO NEARLY FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR WRITING CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR CASH

US Department of Justice

SANTA ANA, California – A physician who operated a medical clinic in Westminster was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for illegally writing prescriptions for “patients” who simply paid cash to have access to dangerous narcotics.

    Vu Le, 46, of Midway City, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna.

    Le pleaded guilty in June to all 15 felony counts contained in an indictment that accused him of charging up to $150 to write prescriptions for powerful and addictive painkillers for people he did not examine. Most of the prescriptions were for Oxycodone (sold in various forms, including the brand name OxyContin) and the painkiller Hydrocodone (available in various forms, including the brand name Vicodin).

    When he pleaded guilty, Le admitted that in 2005 and 2006 he provided prescriptions to persons seeking controlled substances without a legitimate medical reason in exchange for cash payment. These individuals came to Le's medical office in Westminster and paid $150 in cash to be seen by the doctor. After claiming that they had pain and needed medication, Le prescribed controlled substances, usually Hydrocodone (a Schedule III controlled substance) and Oxycodone (a Schedule II controlled substance). Le wrote the prescritions without examination, without referral slips and without any other documentation showing a legitimate medical reason for the prescription. Le admitted that his actions in prescribing these controlled substances were outside the scope of professional practice.

    As part of the investigation into Le, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted undercover operations in which they posed as individuals seeking controlled substances. During the undercover meetings, Le did not examine the undercover agents, nor did he take a thorough medical history from them. Instead, he simply wrote prescriptions for Oxycondone and Hydrocodone in a manner that was outside the usual course of professional practice.

    After his arrest in December 2006, Le told the DEA that 70 percent of his total revenue came from his “pain management” and that he made approximately $50,000 a month from his practice.

    The investigation into Le was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

EMT CONVICTED OF RAPING INCAPACITATED FEMALE PATIENT IN HOSPITAL ROOM

November 13, 2009

Orange County District Attorney's Office

NEWPORT BEACH - An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) was convicted today of raping a female patient in a hospital room while she was unable to resist due to intoxication. Jesse Karim Pena, 32, Winchester, CA, pleaded guilty to the court to one felony count of rape of an intoxicated person. He was sentenced to three years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.

At approximately 12:00 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2009, 31-year-old Jane Doe was taken in an ambulance to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. While on-duty as an EMT, Pena logged himself into the victim's hospital room while she was alone and unable to resist due to intoxication. The defendant raped the victim and left. Jane Doe reported the rape to hospital personnel, who called 9-1-1.

DNA found on the victim's hospital gown linked Pena to the crime. He was arrested at a family member's home in Ontario, CA, on June 25, 2009. At the time of the rape, Pena was an independent contractor EMT who may also have worked at other hospitals in Orange County and the San Diego area.

During the sentencing today, a letter was submitted to the court by the victim, who explained that the sexual assault committed against her by Pena has made coping with daily life more difficult. She asked, "How do [rape victims] do it? At times I don't even know who I am anymore."

Deputy District Attorney Tony Ferrentino of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.

TRANSCRIPTS UNSEALED IN 11-DEFENDANT INDICTMENT FOR CRIME SPREE INVOLVING TWO ORANGE COUNTY JEWELRY STORE ROBBERIES

November 16, 2009

The Orange County District Attorney's Office

SANTA ANA - Grand jury transcripts were unsealed today charging eleven defendants, including nine members of a San Diego criminal street gang, for their role in a crime spree involving the armed robbery of two Orange County jewelry stores, identity theft, and street terrorism. A 20-count indictment was issued Oct. 26, 2009, against 11 defendants, all residents of San Diego County, who face sentences ranging from three years up to 35 years to life in state prison if convicted. The defendants are all scheduled for arraignment Dec. 4, 2009, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. Lopez is scheduled for a pre-trial at that time.

This case was jointly investigated by the Laguna Beach (LBPD) and Tustin Police Departments (TPD) and Orange County District Attorney's Office with assistance from the Orange County and San Diego County Sheriff's Departments, Chula Vista and Oceanside Police Departments, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

DEFENDANT: NAME,AGE,CHARGES,BAIL

Aida Arroyo: 27, 1 felony count each of second degree vehicle burglary, second degree robbery, identity theft, forging an access cardholder's signature, receiving stolen property, acquiring access card account information, 2 felony counts of second degree commercial burglary, 3 felony counts of street terrorism,sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, $250,000 in custody Salvador Barajas: 29, 1 felony count each of receiving stolen property and street terrorism, sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity, $75,000 in custody Touradj Barman: 66, 1 felony count of receiving stolen property, $20,000 out of custody Michael Dennis Burgin: 30, 1 felony count each of second degree robbery, second degree commercial burglary, and street terrorism, sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, 2 prior strike convictions for first degree burglaries in 1999 and 2002, $1 million in custody Sylvia Elena Castaneda: 28, 2 felony counts of street, terrorism, 1 felony count each of second degree robbery and accessory after the fact, sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, $1 million in custody Jose Jesus Garcia: 35, 1 felony count of receiving stolen property, $20,000 out of custody

Pedro Avina Hernandez: 29, 1 felony count each of second degree robbery, second degree commercial burglary, and street terrorism, sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, $1 million in custody

Alonso Jose Lopez: 31, 1 felony count each of second degree robbery, second degree commercial burglary, and street terrorism, sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, 1 prior strike conviction for kidnapping in 1998, $1 million in custody Daisy Oregon: 21, 1 felony count each of receiving stolen property and street terrorism, sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity, 1 prior strike for robbery in 2005, $75,000 in custody Arturo Carlos Perez: 21, 1 felony count each of accessory after the fact and street terrorism, sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity, $100,000 in custody

Adam Weick: 28, 1 felony count each of second degree robbery, second degree commercial burglary, and street terrorism, sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member, 1 prior strike for kidnapping in 2005, $200,000

in custody

Tustin Robbery

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2009, Arroyo is accused of entering Tustin Village Jewelers under the pretense of selling a ring. The jewelry store has security gates and the defendant was buzzed in. While negotiating a price with the store owner, Arroyo is accused of asking to be let out of the store to make a phone call. When the owner buzzed the security gate to let Arroyo out, Burgin and Weick are accused of immediately rushing in to the store wearing caps and bandanas. They are accused of being armed with firearms and demanding at gunpoint that the victim unlock the jewelry cases to give them access to the diamonds.

One of the defendants is accused of holding a gun to the back of the victim's head and threatening to shoot him if he did not open the safe. The defendants are accused of then duct-taping the victim and putting him in the bathroom. Burgin, Weick, and Arroyo are accused of stealing over $160,000 in jewelry and fleeing the scene.

Laguna Beach Robbery

At approximately 7:00 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2009, Lopez, Burgin, and Hernandez are accused of entering Baca Jewelers in Laguna Beach as the store was closing. They are accused of dressing in black and attempting to hide their faces by wearing hoods and baseball caps. The defendants are accused of robbing a store employee at gun-point and stealing over $1 million in watches and jewelry before fleeing the scene.

Officers from LBPD responded and Lopez, Burgin, and Hernandez are accused of leading police on a pursuit from Laguna Beach to Aliso Viejo. The defendants are accused of abandoning their car in an Aliso Viejo parking garage and evading police by fleeing. LBPD officers learned that the abandoned vehicle was owned by Castaneda. Castaneda is accused of attempting to impede the police investigation by reporting her car stolen in San Diego County, despite loaning it to Lopez, Burgin, and Hernandez knowing that it would be used for a jewelry store burglary.

Perez is accused of assisting Lopez evade arrest and hide in an Oceanside home by acting as a look-out to determine if police were surveiling the home and obtaining a calling card for Lopez to make phone calls without detection. Based on a law enforcement bulletin put out by LBPD, TPD noticed similarities between the two robberies and the agencies began jointly investigating their cases.

Identity Theft and Receiving Stolen Property On Sept. 8, 2009, Castaneda is accused of being driven with Oregon and Arroyo to Laguna Beach by Barajas to pick up her car, which had been abandoned after the Aug. 25, 2009, robbery and impounded by LBPD. While Castaneda was meeting with LBPD, the three other defendants are accused of stealing mail from local Laguna Beach mail boxes. Arroyo is accused of being in possession of and fraudulently using credit cards, which had been stolen in San Diego County the day before.

Subsequent investigation into the robberies revealed that two second hand jewelry stores in San Diego County, San Diego Jewelry and Loan and J&L Jewelers, were selling some of the stolen jewelry. Garcia is accused of attempting to make identifying the stolen jewelry more difficult by grinding off identifying markings. Barman is accused of purchasing the property, knowing it had been stolen.

All of the defendants, except for Barman and Garcia, are accused of being members or associates of a San Diego Hispanic criminal street gang. They are accused of planning and committing these crimes to benefit their criminal street gang. The majority of the stolen property has not been recovered and there is an ongoing investigation to determine whether the defendants were involved in other robberies of Orange and San Diego County jewelry stores.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Tustin Police Detective James Monsoor at (714) 573-3192, Laguna Beach Police Detective Debra Kelso at (949) 497-0371, or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Hector Pantoja at (714) 347-8844. Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Mendelson of the Gang Unit is prosecuting this case.

FORMER CHIEF PROFESSIONAL OFFICER OF 30 YEARS AT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF TUSTIN CONVICTED OF STEALING MORE THAN $114,000 FROM CLUB

November 12, 2009

Orange County District Attorney's Office

SANTA ANA - The former Chief Professional Officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin (BGCT) was convicted today of stealing more than $114,000 from BGCT by using club funds to pay for personal vacations and pay his wife a salary for a fictitious job that she did not hold. Clifford Lewis Polston, 60, Tustin, pleaded guilty to one felony count of grand theft and a sentencing enhancement for excessive taking over $50,000. He faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison at his sentencing Nov. 30, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Polston worked as the Chief Professional Officer for BGCT between 1977 and 2007. The BGCT organization is a non-profit center aimed at providing social and educational programs at safe facilities for underprivileged and at-risk youth.

Between 2001 and 2007, Polston stole approximately $114,000 from BGCT. He used approximately $33,000 in BCGT funds to pay off his personal credit cards for expenses not related to BGCT, including vacation rentals in Hawaii, plane tickets to Vancouver and Las Vegas, and parking at Los Angeles International Airport while on a trip to Tahiti.

During this same time period, Polston created a fictitious "educational consultant" job for his wife, Elsie Polston, who did not work at BGCT at that time. He stole over $72,800 from BGCT by writing checks to his wife under the false pretense that the payments were for work performed.

In the spring of 2007, the Board of Directors of BGCT noticed suspicious financial transactions related to Polston during a routine audit. The defendant resigned in October 2007 after being confronted by the BGCT Board of Directors regarding the suspected theft.

Shortly before resigning, Polston altered BGCT's written policy without authorization from the Board of Directors regarding financial reimbursement for unused sick time. Polston changed the policy just prior to resigning to state that unused sick time would be paid to the employee upon termination. The policy had previously stated that unused sick time would not be paid to the employee upon termination. Polston then filed a civil lawsuit against BGCT for breach of contract, in part for not compensating him $76,700 for accrued sick time.

Deputy District Attorney Jan Christie of the White Collar Crime Team prosecuted this case.

PALM SPRINGS MAN CHARGED WITH WEARING SOME OF NAVY’S HIGHEST AWARDS EVEN THOUGH HE NEVER SERVED IN MILITARY

US Department of Justice

A Palm Springs man is expected to surrender himself to federal authorities tomorrow morning after being charged with the unauthorized display of numerous Navy medals, including the Navy Cross, which is the highest medal awarded by that branch of the military.

Steven Burton, 39, has agreed to surrender tomorrow morning at United States District Court in Riverside, where he will make his initial court appearance at 9:30 a.m.

On Friday, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles filed a criminal information that charges Burton with the unauthorized wearing of military medals.

Burton, who has never served with any branch of the United States armed services, allegedly was seen and photographed on several occasions wearing military uniforms and various medals, including the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart.

According to an affidavit filed in United States District Court, a Navy Commander contacted the FBI after she attended her high school reunion and noticed Burton wearing a United States Marine Corps uniform displaying the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and other awards. Suspicious, the Navy Commander approached Burton and requested to take a photograph with him. During its investigation, the FBI discovered that Burton has recently made Internet postings about being a Marine and receiving many commendations and awards. In his postings, Burton wrote about his “combat experience,” as well as his “service” in Afghanistan and Iraq. Burton posted a picture of himself standing on a beach at Coronado Island wearing the dress uniform of the Marine Corps.

The Navy Cross is the highest medal that can be awarded by the United States Department of the Navy and the second highest award given for valor, second only to the Medal of Honor. It is generally awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life, beyond the call of duty, performed in combat with an enemy force. The Bronze Star is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service, and the Purple Heart is awarded for being wounded or killed in action against an enemy of the United States.

The criminal information charges Burton with the unauthorized wearing of military medals, a misdemeanor offense that carries a statutory maximum penalty of one year in federal prison.

 A criminal information contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

The case against Burton was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received substantial assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

DOZEN DEFENDANTS ARRESTED FOR PASSPORT FRAUD

US Department of Justice

Passport Fraud Sweep Leads to Charges Against 20 in Los Angeles Area

LOS ANGELES – A joint enforcement initiative by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has resulted in the arrest of 12 defendants who have been charged with felony violations related to fraudulent applications for United States passports. A total of 20 defendants have been charged in the crackdown, with the 12^th arrest coming early this morning at the United States-Mexico border. Authorities are continuing to search for seven fugitives.

During the law enforcement operation, which began three weeks ago, federal prosecutors obtained 19 indictments and filed a criminal complaint against a 20^th defendant. All of the defendants are charged with making false statements in relation to passport applications.

The Diplomatic Security Service's Los Angeles Field Office saw a 30 percent increase from 2007 to 2008 in the passport fraud cases it investigates. This increase prompted the current enforcement initiative, which represents a multifaceted approach to protect our borders by safeguarding the integrity of U.S. travel documents and the U.S. immigration system as a whole.

The defendant arrested this morning at the international border is Alma Huerta, a 40-year-old Mexican national who resides in Whittier. Huerta was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 21 on charges of using a false identity to obtain a passport in 2000 and using that document in an attempt to open a bank account. Huerta is expected to make her initial court appearance this afternoon in federal court in Calexico.

Over the past several weeks, authorities have made arrests in several notable cases filed as part of the passport fraud sweep. They include:

● Sergio Samonet, 48, a Cuban citizen who resides in South Gate, was arrested on October 23 and is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday. Samonet allegedly stole the identity of his ex-wife's mentally handicapped son and used that identity to obtain a U.S. Passport. Samonet was convicted in 2005 on state charges related to his use of the same stolen identity, and he was subsequently ordered deported from the United States by an immigration court.

● Piyamas Jeerapaet, 41, of Burbank, was arrested on October 27 for allegedly using her position as a U.S. Postal Service employee to help her brother, a Thai citizen, obtain a U.S. Passport in a false identity. She was arrested in Medford, Oregon with assistance from the DSS San Francisco Field Office and the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of the Inspector General. Jeerapaet pleaded not guilty last week and is scheduled to go to trial on December 29.

● Francisco Martinez, 67, a Mexican national who was living in Oxnard, was arrested on October 23 for allegedly assuming the identity of a deceased individual to obtain a U.S. Passport in 2001 and to apply for a U.S. Passport Card in 2008. The DSS investigation, which also involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, revealed that Martinez had a criminal history related to the sale of narcotics and had previously been deported from the United States. Martinez, who is also charged with illegal re-entry after deportation, pleaded not guilty last week and is scheduled to go to trial on December 22.

● Jose Tejada, 39, a citizen of El Salvador who was residing in Los Angeles, was arrested on October 28 for allegedly attempting to renew a U.S. Passport he had already obtained under a false identity in 1995. Tejeda pleaded not guilty last week and is scheduled to go to trial on December 8.

● Jose Yezid Rodriguez-Rojas, who also used the name Angel Luis Pena, is currently in a California state prison. Rodriguez, a Colombian national, is charged with attempting to obtain a U.S. passport in at least two false identities

Other defendants in custody after being charged in this sweep are: Diego Martinez-Diaz, 26, of Pacoima, who is currently in state prison; Leonardo Aguago Aldape, 39, of Los Angeles; Christian Mauricio Sanchez Merlin, 30, of Whittier; Ricardo Torres, 35, a native of Peru who was living in Van Nuys; Ibrahim Olanrewaju Adekeye, 27; and Odonga Kenya Rush, 38, of Chula Vista.

Those convicted of passport and visa fraud face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

The fugitives currently sought by authorities are: Son Parsons, 48, of Alpharetta, Georgia; Suarez Gonzalez, 46, of Los Angeles; Carlos Edward Veliz, 32, of Los Angeles; David Prado Flores, 37, of Downey; Daza Jair Labrador Lopez, 36, of Van Nuys; Hector Acosta-Espinosa, who is believed to be in Mexico; Karen Fuentes, 25, of Long Beach, who is believed to have fled to Nicaragua; and  “John Doe” who used the name “Juan Molina Sandoval” and “Edward Valenzuela.”

“This investigative initiative shows the Department of State's commitment to ensure the integrity of the U.S. passport and visa, the most sought-after travel documents in the world,” said Bruce T. Mills, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Diplomatic Security Service's Los Angeles Field Office. “The Diplomatic Security Service will continue to pursue joint partnerships like this one with other federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities to counter this growing threat to the homeland.”

“In some instances, stolen documents can be used within hours or days to commit crimes,” said Alex Moore, the resident agent-in-charge of the Diplomatic Security Service's San Diego Resident Office. “We urge U.S. citizens who have lost or had their travel documents stolen to immediately contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, in addition to local law enforcement agencies, so that authorities can place lookouts in a timely manner.”

DSS officials said that U.S. citizens or legitimate document holders may be prosecuted in cases where it has been found that they sold or made their documents available for others to use.

In relation to the case against Jeerapaet, Nichole Cooper, Special Agent in Charge for the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General, stated: “The American public expects postal employees to be diligent and honest when handling their mail. The Office of Inspector General works to ensure that integrity. We also have the same expectation of employees when they perform non-postal duties, such as processing passports. When postal employees' actions turn into criminal violations, Special Agents aggressively investigate those crimes.”

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the U.S. Department of State's law enforcement and security arm. The special agents, engineers, and security professionals of the Bureau are responsible for the security of 285 U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. In the United States, Diplomatic Security personnel protect the U.S. Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the United States, investigate passport and visa fraud, and conduct personnel security investigations. In 2008, DS participated in 2,487 arrests globally, primarily for passport and visa fraud, including 586 arrests overseas in cooperation with foreign police. Read more in the U.S. Department of State's Visa and Passport Security Strategic Plan at: http://www.state.gov/m/ds/rls/rpt/79895.htm. Additional information about the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security may be obtained at www.state.gov/m/ds.

U.S. EPA seeks former Atomics International, Rocketdyne, Rockwell, employees for Santa Susana Field Lab radiological study

US Environmental Protection Agency

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking former Atomics International, Rocketdyne, or Rockwell employees who worked on nuclear and radiological projects at the now closed Santa Susana Field Lab, located near Los Angeles, Calif., to assist the agency in identifying potential radiological contamination at the lab, which will help overall cleanup of the lab property.

The EPA is interested in interviewing past lab employees that have knowledge of spills, dumping, or other types of releases of radiological material to the land, air and water. The EPA is planning a study of radiological contamination at the lab and a full understanding of past operations and events that may have caused contamination is critical to EPA’s study.

The interview can be conducted in-person with EPA representatives only, jointly with EPA and Department of Energy representatives or with DOE representatives only. Interviews will be conducted in a manner most convenient to the former employee. In addition, the EPA is seeking written information (i.e. documents, reports, photos, etc) associated with radiological activities including spills and dumping of radiological materials that may assist with EPA’s research.

If you are interested in assisting the EPA, please contact Andrew Taylor at (415) 972-3129 or [email protected]. Or leave a message on the EPA toll-free number, (800) 231-3075.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy provided the EPA with $38.3 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to conduct a radiological study on a portion of the site. The scope of the EPA study includes research into past nuclear operations at the site, a thorough scan of gamma radiation levels at the ground surface, and laboratory testing of soil, groundwater, and surface water.

Established in 1946, the Santa Susana Field Laboratory covers nearly 2,900 acres in eastern Ventura County. The site has been used for rocket engine tests, nuclear energy research and nuclear reactor development. The entire SSFL site is currently undergoing a joint environmental cleanup program performed by Boeing, DOE, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under the regulatory authority of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

SOUTH KOREAN FUGITIVE PLEADS GUILTY TO KILLING 23-YEAR-OLD MOTORCYCLIST IN 2005 FREEWAY CRASH WHILE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

November 10, 2009

Orange County District Attorney's Office

SANTA ANA - A South Korean fugitive pleaded guilty today to killing a motorcyclist in a 2005 freeway crash while under the influence of alcohol. Youn Bum Lee, 42, formerly of Irvine, pleaded guilty to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful act with gross negligence while intoxicated, with a sentencing enhancement for fleeing the scene of a crime. He is expected to be sentenced to nine years in state prison on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, at 1:30 p.m. in Department C-5, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana. The victim's family and friends will be making a victim impact statement at the sentencing.

At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Oct. 18, 2005, Lee attended a company sponsored dinner at Seoul Oak Korean BBQ Restaurant in Garden Grove with six co-workers from Hyundai Motor America. The group consumed 14 bottles of soju, a distilled Korean rice wine, before going to a nearby karaoke bar, 25 SI, on Garden Grove Boulevard. Lee consumed more alcoholic drinks at the karaoke bar before getting into his black company-issued Hyundai sport utility vehicle at approximately 12:05 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2005.

While under the influence of alcohol, Lee drove with his headlights off on State Route 22 onto State Route 55, heading southbound. The defendant veered into the carpool lane and crashed into the center median due to intoxication. Lee's car rolled backward and came to a stop in the carpool lane south of Dyer Road in Santa Ana. Victim Ryan Dallas Cook, 23, Fountain Valley, was riding his motorcycle in the carpool lane on his way home. Cook was unable to stop in time to avoid crashing into Lee's black, unlit car. The victim, a student at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, was ejected from his motorcycle and thrown onto the freeway, where he was run over by several other vehicles. Cook was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of multiple traumatic injuries due to blunt force vehicle trauma. Lee then fled the scene at a high rate of speed.

Later that morning, on Oct. 19, 2005, Lee arrived at work at Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley. He parked his car front-in in the parking lot, but returned five minutes later to move his car and back-in to the parking space. He attempted to hide the evidence from the crash, including a shattered back windshield and blood, hair, and other human tissue from the victim.

That morning, Lee consulted with a co-worker, whom he had been drinking with the night before, as well as with general counsel at Hyundai Motor America. The co-worker and a supervisor drove Lee to Los Angeles International airport that afternoon. At 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2005, just 24 hours after Cook was killed, Lee boarded a flight on Korean Air to Seoul, South Korea, leaving his wife and young child behind.

The case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol, and was filed by the Orange County District Attorney's (OCDA) Office in April 2007. In September 2008, the OCDA submitted a request for extradition. Lee was arrested on the fugitive warrant in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 2, 2008, by South Korean authorities. He was extradited to Orange County on Jan. 30, 2009.

To ensure that justice was served in this case, the OCDA requested Hyundai Motor America to assist the People in locating a key witness, Jason Ryu, who was believed to be living in South Korea, and convince him to provide truthful testimony during a conditional examination. The OCDA could not subpoena Ryu because he lives in South Korea. Hyundai Motor America was under no legal obligation to produce this witness, but as good corporate citizens conducting business in this County, they rose to the occasion to provide the requested assistance. In July 22, 2009, Ryu testified for approximately three hours during the conditional examination.

Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

VALLEY BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO 2½ YEARS IN PRISON FOR SELLING NON-CONFORMING GASKETS USED ON BOEING JETS

US Department of Justice

A Woodland Hills businessman was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison for selling uncertified rubber gaskets that were installed on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Duane Lepire, 74, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge S. James Otero in Los Angeles. Lepire pleaded guilty in April to one count of fraud in the sale of aircraft parts.

Lepire, who owned and operated the Canoga Park-based Chatsworth Rubber and Gasket Company, sold “commercial grade” O-rings to aircraft parts brokers by falsely claiming that the O-rings were certified for use in the manufacture of aircraft parts.

Lepire purchased the commercial grade O-rings – which are cheaper, do not require an aircraft quality manufacturing process, and are not sold with any type of certification – and repackaged the O-rings, identifying them as having been manufactured by well-known aviation quality manufacturers. When he sold the non-conforming O-rings, Lepire submitted bogus “certificates of conformance" and painted markings on the O-rings to make it appear as if they had been manufactured by aviation quality manufacturers.

The non-conforming O-rings were used to make vibration dampeners on Boeing 737 aircraft and caused the vibration dampeners to leak hydraulic fluid. While the non-conforming O-rings posed a safety hazard, there are no crashes associated with the non-conforming O-rings that Lepire sold.

When Boeing discovered the problem with parts sold by Chatsworth Rubber and Gasket, Lepire submitted a false Certificate of Conformance certifying that the O-rings met specifications for aircraft parts, as well as false documents that purported to be from a well-known aviation parts broker referencing the O-rings in question.

In rejecting Lepire’s plea for probation, Judge Otero noted the “very devious” nature of the fraud and that Lepire had endangered the flying public.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; NASA’s Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

Three months ago, the FAA issued an “Unapproved Parts Notification” for O-rings sold by Chatsworth Rubber and Gasket (see: http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/programs/sups/upn/media/2009/upn_2006-00012.pdf).

PEDOPHILE PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED OF MOLESTING TWO DAUGHTERS SENTENCED TO 17½ YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON IN ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT OF NIECE IN THE PHILIPPINES

US Department of Justice

LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man with a history of child molestation going back nearly 50 years has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to sexually assault another family member in the Philippines.

Arthur Leroy Shoot, 71, who maintains residences in Mission Viejo and in the Philippine province of Iloilo, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge S. James Otero.

In April, Shoot pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign place. The case followed Shoot’s arrest on September 3, 2008, when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport after a trip to the Philippines. Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement examined a camera in Shoot’s luggage and discovered four sexually explicit photos of a young girl. Shoot later told investigators that the photos were of his wife’s niece, who was 7 years old at the time.

Judge Otero handed down the 17½-year federal prison sentence after noting that three prior child molestation convictions dating back to 1963 had failed to stop Shoot’s conduct. Shoot, who described himself to investigators as a “pedophile,” was previously convicted in state courts of molesting two of his daughters, but he received sentences of only one year and 18 months for assaulting them, one of whom was abused for more than a decade. Shoot’s first conviction dates back to 1963, when he was convicted of assaulting a girl that he met at a church. During the latest investigation, a third daughter told investigators that she was molested for years, although no criminal charges ever resulted from those attacks.

The case against Shoot is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.