Law Enforcement

Brown Announces Arrests of Nursing Home Employees Who Drugged Patients for Staff's Convenience

February 18, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2009
Contact: Christine Gasparac (916) 324-5500

Brown Announces Arrests of Nursing Home Employees Who Drugged Patients for Staff’s Convenience

BAKERSFIELD –Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the arrests of a nurse, physician, and a pharmacist of a nursing home for “forcibly administering” psychotropic medications for their own convenience, rather than for their patients’ therapeutic interests, actions that are alleged to have resulted in the deaths of three residents.

“These people maliciously violated the trust of their patients, by holding them down and forcibly administering psychotropic medications if they dared to question their care,” Attorney General Brown said. “This is appalling behavior, which amounts to assault with a deadly weapon.”

Earlier today, California Department of Justice special agents arrested three individuals:

• Gwen Hughes, the former Director of Nursing at the skilled nursing facility of the Kern Valley Healthcare District in Lake Isabella, Kern County on charges of elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.

• Debbi Hayes, the former pharmacist at the Valley Healthcare District, on charges of elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.

• Dr. Hoshang Pormir, a staff physician at Kern Valley Healthcare District, who was serving as the medical director of the skilled nursing facility, on charges of elder abuse.

Upon taking over as Director of Nursing in September 2006, Gwen Hughes ordered that Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients be given high doses of psychotropic medications to make them more tranquil and easy to control. She ordered the administration of these medications to patients who argued with her, were noisy, or who were otherwise disruptive. Two patients who resisted were held down and forcibly given injections.

Ms. Hughes is also alleged to have directed Debbi Hayes, the hospital pharmacist, to fill prescriptions for these psychotropic medications. Hayes wrote and filled these prescriptions without first obtaining a doctor’s approval.

Dr. Hoshang Pormir approved these psychotropic medications only some time after they had been administered and without examining the patients first and determining whether these psychotropic medications were medically necessary.

Several of these patients are alleged to have had medical complications as a result of being given these psychotropic medications, including lethargy and the inability to eat or drink properly. It is believed that that three patients died and one patient suffered great bodily injury as a result.

The investigation

Kern Valley Healthcare District operates a small community hospital and skilled nursing facility in Lake Isabella. The case came to the attention of authorities in January 2007, when an ombudsman reported to the Bakersfield office of the California Department of Public Health that a patient in the skilled nursing facility had been held down and given an injection of psychotropic medication by force.

The Department of Public Health immediately sent an investigative team with a doctor, a nurse, and a doctor of pharmacology. They determined that 22 patients, including some who were suffering from Alzheimer’s at the skilled nursing facility, were being given high doses of psychotropic medication not for therapeutic reasons, but to simply control and quiet them for the convenience of the staff.

The Department of Public Health issued a Certificate of Immediate Jeopardy which resulted in the immediate dismissal of the Ms. Hughes. The matter was then turned over to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.

Special Agents from the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse began a year-long investigation, with the co-operation and assistance of the Department of Public Health and the administration of the Kern Valley Healthcare District.

A search warrant was served on the facility in August 2008, resulting in the seizure of numerous medical files and records.

Criminal charges were filed in Kern County Superior Court. The defendants are being held in Kern County Jail in Bakersfield. They will be arraigned on Friday. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 11 years in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, with the co-operation and assistance of the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.

To report elder abuse or Medi-Cal fraud, call the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse’s hotline at (800) 722-0432.

The complaints are attached.

Attorney General Brown Announces Two Arrests in $1.34 Million Medicare Fraud Case

February 13, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

Attorney General Brown Announces Two Arrests in $1.34 Million Medicare Fraud Case

SAN DIEGO —Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the arrests of two individuals who “hatched a scheme” to file false claims under Medicare for medical services that were never performed.

“The defendants hatched a scheme to bilk Medicare out of more than a million dollars,” Attorney General Brown said. “They stole the identities of people on Medicare and made claims for procedures that were never performed.”

The two defendants -- a husband and wife -- owned and operated Balboa Therapy Center in San Diego. From July 2005 to June 2006, they, along with an accomplice, paid unsuspecting seniors at retirement homes $100 to obtain their insurance information and sign their names on blank medical forms.

The couple then paired the seniors’ signatures and Medicare insurance numbers with provider ID numbers from licensed physicians to submit fake claims. None of the claimed procedures were performed, and the physicians listed on the claims had no idea their names were being used to perpetrate the scheme.

Balboa Therapy Center functioned primarily as a front. Some of the staff at Balboa reported going days without seeing a single patient. The defendants hired licensed physicians as “directors” at the clinic to gain access to their Medicare provider ID number in order to submit the false claims to Medicare. The physicians were unaware that their provider ID numbers were being used to file the claims.

When some senior citizens began to receive receipts and other forms from Medicare indicating that they had been treated at Balboa Therapy Center, they contacted the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse began an investigation that led to criminal charges against the following defendants in San Diego Superior Court:

• Sanjay Patel, 41. Patel and his wife, Leena Patel, owned Balboa Therapy Center. They were arrested in Connecticut just before they attempted to flee the country for India.
• Leena Patel, 36.

The defendants, who are being held at Hartford County Jail in Connecticut, are being charged with thirteen criminal counts including grand theft, identity theft, health benefits fraud, receiving stolen property and money laundering. If convicted, they could face over twelve years in prison.

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse investigates and prosecutes those who file fraudulent claims for medical services, medical equipment and drugs.

In the 2007/2008 fiscal year, Attorney General Brown was able to recover over $161 million in government funds that had been lost due to fraud and obtained 70 convictions.

To report fraud or abuse, call the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse’s hotline at (800) 722-0432.

The complaint and affidavit are available upon request.

# # #

Statement of Attorney General Jerry Brown

February 9, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

This order, the latest intrusion by the federal judiciary into California’s prison system, is a blunt instrument that does not recognize the imperatives of public safety, nor the challenges of incarcerating criminals, many of whom are deeply disturbed.

There is no doubt that there is room for improvement. But significant progress has been made and is continuing to be made at a cost of billions.

The court’s tentative ruling is not constitutionally justified. Therefore, the state will appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court when the final order is issued.

Attorney General Brown Announces Charges Against Physician Accused of Prescription Drug Fraud

February 2, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

RANCHO CUCUMONGA— Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that charges were filed against Dr. Lisa Barden of Rancho Cucumonga, who broke the law and “wrecked havoc” on the lives of patients whose identities she stole to obtain highly addictive pain killers.

“This physician wrecked havoc on the lives of dozens of patients, violating her oath and abusing her position as a doctor,” Attorney General Brown said.

In November 2007, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement began an investigation of Dr. Barden, who illegally obtained prescription drugs on 131 separate occasions from more than 43 different pharmacies. Barden obtained more than 30,000 tablets of prescription painkillers, including hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (Oxycotin). Dr. Barden was arrested on Thursday, January 29.

The Riverside District Attorney’s Office filed 276 felony counts including: commercial burglary, forgery, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, possession of a controlled substance, insurance fraud and identity theft. Agents recovered from her home multiple prescription pads for 12 different doctors, as well as the personal information of 93 people who are alleged victims of identity theft.

The investigation was led by the Riverside Regional Pharmaceutical Narcotic Enforcement Team, which is a cooperative effort with the California Department of Insurance, Fraud Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

This initiative is part of the Attorney General’s plan to address prescription drug abuse in the state and make it easier for doctors to keep track of prescription drug records.

Prescription drug abuse can have serious public safety consequences, as many abusers hold down critical jobs including truck drivers, transit operators and medical practitioners. The Attorney General has been working in cooperation with the Troy and Alana Pack Foundation, founded by Bob Pack, whose 7 and 10-year old children were killed by a driver who was under the influence of prescription drugs obtained from multiple doctors, to make tracking prescription drug records easier.

Last year, Attorney General Brown unveiled a plan to provide doctors and pharmacies with real-time Internet access to patient prescription drug histories. Under Brown’s proposal, health professionals will have computer access to the drug histories of patients, replacing the current outdated system that required mailing or faxing written requests for information. Each year, more than 60,000 such requests are made to the California Department of Justice.

The state’s database, known as the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES), contains 86 million entries for prescription drugs dispensed in California, giving healthcare professionals the technology they need to fight the prescription drug abuse currently burdening California’s healthcare system.

According to the latest Department of Justice “Drug Trends” report, Valium, Vicodin, and Oxycontin are the most prevalent pharmaceutical drugs obtained fraudulently. Vicodin and Oxycontin are the two most abused pharmaceutical drugs in the United States.

Brown Calls on Court to Terminate Prison Receivership

January 28, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today called on the federal district court to terminate an “unaccountable prison receivership” and its extravagant $8 billion prison construction plan because both violate federal law.

“The court should terminate this unaccountable prison receivership and its $8 billion construction plan, restoring a dose of fiscal reality to the provision of inmate medical care in California,” Attorney General Brown said. “The federal receivership has turned into its own autonomous government operating outside the normal checks and balances of state and federal law,” Brown added.

The Receiver’s $8 billion plan calls for adding 7 new prison health care facilities containing 10,000 new beds for prisoners -- that’s 7 million square feet, or the size of 70 new Walmarts. The plan would also renovate space at each of the 33 existing state prisons.

A draft of the plan also includes yoga rooms, horticultural therapy, extensive landscaping to obscure prison fences, music and art therapy, regulation basketball courts, quiet rooms, an emphasis on natural light and high ceilings, and a so-called “treatment mall.” A subsequent draft contains most of the same features without the graphic detail.

The construction of new facilities, as well as the upgrading of existing facilities, is estimated to cost $8 billion. In addition, it will cost $1.7 billion to $2.3 billion per year to operate these facilities. The projected operations cost per inmate is $170,000 to $230,000 per year. This extravagant plan comes at a time when California is facing a fiscal catastrophe and funding for school children is being slashed.

The Termination Motion
In a motion filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the Attorney General urged the court to terminate the Receivership and his plan for the construction of prison healthcare facilities – because the Prison Litigation Reform Act prohibits judges from ordering the construction of state prison facilities and limits court-imposed remedies to the “least intrusive” possible.

In place of the $8 billion plan, the Attorney General called for returning the prison health care system to the State and the appointment of an interim Special Master to conduct hearings and make proposed findings of fact.

Background
California is under Federal court order to provide health care that is not “deliberately indifferent” to the health needs of prisoners. The State of California is committed to providing such care.

The State – under the receivership – has taken significant steps to improve inmate health care. California has increased health care staffing and filled almost 90 percent of open physician positions, improved emergency response, professional standards, contracting systems, and health care screenings.

In total, California has increased per inmate health care spending from $7,601 per year in 2005-2006 to $13,778 in 2007-2008. By comparison, spending per inmate in federal prisons will be $4,413 per inmate in 2008-2009. The average cost of health care coverage for a single person in California in 2008 was $4,906.

Nevertheless, the Receiver continues to insist on a massive program that would lead to the construction of facilities and amenities that go well-beyond standards required by the Constitution and federal law. The Prison Litigation Reform Act, signed into law in 1996, forbids judges from ordering construction of state prison facilities, and requires that any plan that a court orders be “narrowly drawn, extend “no further than necessary” to correct the violation of the Federal right, and be the “least intrusive means necessary.” (18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(1)(A))

On August 25, 2008, the Receiver filed a motion to hold the Governor and other State officials in contempt for failing to turn over to the Receiver $8 billion for his construction plans, and the district court ordered the state to make a down-payment of $250 million by November 5.

Subsequently, Brown appealed that decision to the Ninth Circuit, which stayed the district court order. The Ninth Circuit will hear oral argument in the case on February 12, 2009.

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Attorney General Brown and Mendocino County Sheriff Shut Down Ecstasy Ring

Nine Arrested, MDMA, LSD, Marijuana, Guns, and U.S. Currency Seized
January 27, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

MENDOCINO- Attorney General Edmund G. Brown along with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Task Force today announced the arrest of nine people involved in a “dangerous drug ring” that operated ecstasy (MDMA) labs throughout Northern California.

“This drug ring, operating throughout northern California, posed a threat to people and the environment” Attorney General Brown said. “Today’s bust marks an end to the activities of this dangerous drug ring.”

In November 2008, the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement teamed up with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office after an anonymous tip alerted law enforcement agents of a possible MDMA lab operating in Mendocino County.

Agents monitored the suspected lab location and identified the cook as Jonathan Passel from El Cerrito. Passel was followed to several locations including: a residence in Willits and Redwood Valley, a warehouse in San Rafael, a residence in El Cerrito, a residence and warehouse in Oakland, and an extremely remote location in northwest Mendocino County.

On January 23, 2009, Agents from the Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force, Santa Rosa Drug Enforcement Agency, West Contra Costa Narcotic Enforcement Team, Lake County Narcotics Task Force, California Highway Patrol, Sonoma Narcotics Task Force, Ukiah Police Department, Willits Police Department, and the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force served nine warrants in four counties.

Jonathan Passel, 46, and Mia Miller, 44, were arrested at the lab site in Mendocino County. Agents seized a .45 handgun, thousands of dollars worth of chemicals, commercial grade laboratory glassware, and over one-hundred gallons of toxic, poisonous, and flammable liquids and solids. Hazardous chemicals and laboratory equipment filled forty large barrels with an estimated disposal cost of $35,000.

Very little waste product was found at the lab site, raising concerns of illegal dumping of toxic, poisonous, and flammable substances in the surrounding area. Illegal dumping of chemical waste can be extremely dangerous to the land, animals, and people living near a dump site.

“This is the best example I’ve ever seen of a 3-month investigation being coordinated by multiple agencies and coming to a very successful conclusion.” Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman said.

Also seized were approximately 44 kilograms of MDMA (ecstacy), worth an estimated $1,936,000.00,

Paul Passel, 64, Jonathan Passel’s brother, was arrested in El Cerrito but was cited at the scene due to medical issues. Agents seized 1 ½ pounds of marijuana and lab glassware.

Phillip Crosby, 35, Jared Coil, 28, Kayla Kashtiban, 19, and Justin Spilis, 21, were arrested in Willits. Agents seized 600 marijuana plants, LSD, MDMA, and several firearms.

Leon Haskell, 34, and Tappie Dufresne, 37, were arrested in Oakland. Agents seized approximately 44 kilos of MDMA, 28 pounds of psyliocibin mushrooms, 30 pounds of marijuana, and approximately $500,000 in cash.

Attorney General Brown Files Criminal Charges in $52 Million Ponzi Scheme

January 23, 2009
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2009
Contact: Christine Gasparac(916) 324-5500

Attorney General Brown Files Criminal Charges in $52 Million Ponzi Scheme

ORANGE COUNTY – Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday filed 89 criminal charges against 6 men who “callously conned” more than a thousand people, including retired senior citizens, out of $52 million through sham real estate projects, using the investors’ money to buy planes, expensive cars and lavish vacations.

“These six men callously conned hundreds of people into investing $52 million into a company that they treated as their personal bank account,” Attorney General Brown said. “They fraudulently took investors’ money and spent it on an array of luxury items, relying on a Ponzi scheme to keep investors at bay.”

From 2001 to February 2006, Irvine-based Carolina Development Company peddled $52 million worth of stock to more than a thousand investors. The company claimed the proceeds would be used to buy and develop luxury resorts and upscale communities adjacent to golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Greg Norman. Investors bought anywhere from $15,000 to $1 million in stock, including senior citizens who invested their retirement funds. The company bought some land, but did nothing to develop it, despite its claim that 85% of the $52 million invested would be used for land acquisition and development.

To persuade investors to buy shares of Carolina Development Company, the defendants claimed that Arnold Palmer had partnered with them. The defendants promised that investors would reap huge dividends and assured those who invested a minimum of $100,000 that their investment would be secured by deeds to specific parcels of land. None of these claims were true.

The defendants diverted more than $24 million for extravagant bonuses, personal medical bills, airplanes, fancy meals, BMWs, concert tickets and luxury vacations. To keep investors at bay, the defendants engaged in a Ponzi scheme, paying some investors “returns” on their investment using money from the new investors.

Department of Justice agents served arrest warrants against the following six defendants, who were charged with grand theft and securities fraud in Orange County Superior Court:

Lambert Vander Tuig, 50, of Santa Margarita, currently held in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Jonathan Carman, 45, of Laguna Hills, currently held in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Mark Sostak, 50, of Ladera Ranch, currently held in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Bail is set at $4.5 million.

Scott Yard, 47, of Costa Mesa, remains at large.

Soren Svendsen, 43, of Coto De Caza, is currently being held in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Bail is set at $2.2 million.

Robert Waldman, 48, is scheduled to turn himself in to authorities.

On Wednesday, representatives of the Attorney General’s Office obtained arrest warrants from Orange County Superior Court Judge Selim Franklin.

These criminal charges were preceded by civil actions brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC in 2007 won a $29.2 million judgment against Lambert Vander Tuig, the president of the company, and a $2.1 million judgment against Jonathan Carman, vice president of the company.

If convicted, defendants Vander Tuig and Carman could receive sentences in excess of 10 years in state prison. The remaining defendants would be subject to lesser prison sentences.

The criminal complaint and affidavit are attached.

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Attorney General Brown Announces Shut-Down of Major Illegal Marijuana Operation

December 16, 2008
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIF–Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that local, state and federal law enforcement agencies served 10 search warrants and 5 arrest warrants in El Dorado and Nevada Counties to shut down a “major illegal marijuana-growing operation” operating in northern California.

“Today, we shut down a major illegal marijuana-growing operation,” said Attorney General Brown. “This illegal operation consisted of thousands of marijuana plants worth millions of dollars and protected by handguns, shotguns and rifles. These illegal growing operations are a threat to public safety.”

In the course of today’s crackdown, agents seized approximately 2,100 marijuana plants and 100 pounds of processed marijuana, plus indoor marijuana-growing equipment, such as lights and generators. Agents also found approximately $625,000 in U.S. currency and seized 2 handguns, 3 rifles and 5 shotguns. Several of the weapons seized were loaded.

The 2-month investigation began in September 2008, after agents observed an outdoor marijuana cultivation operation in Pollock Pines. Agents found that in the past 4 years, the suspects had spent millions of dollars on properties in El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Mendocino, Sacramento, Alameda, and San Francisco Counties. During the investigation into these properties, agents discovered large indoor marijuana cultivations in El Dorado County.

Law enforcement agents detained several individuals. Any individuals arrested today will face federal charges of conspiracy to manufacture/cultivate marijuana.

Today’s arrests were part of a multi-agency operation involving more than 200 law enforcement personnel from the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, California Highway Patrol, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, Elk Grove Police Department, Mountain and Valley Investigation Team, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Placer SIU, Sacramento City Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, SLEDNET, U.S. Forest Service, West Sacramento Police Department, Woodland Police Department, and Yolo County Sheriff’s Office.

Attorney General Brown Urges Reversal of Decision Forcing California to Make $250 million "Down-Payment" for Massive Prison Plan

December 8, 2008
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

SAN FRANCISCO– California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today urged the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to reverse a lower court decision requiring California to make a $250 million down-payment on a massive $8 billion prison-construction project, arguing that the decision is in “blatant violation” of federal law.

“This decision is in blatant violation of federal law, which forbids federal judges from ordering states to build new state prisons,” Attorney General Brown said. “This is particularly unacceptable at a time when California is facing a $25 billion deficit,” Brown added.

Brown also called on the Federal appeals court to order the release of hundreds of pages of secret documents that are contained in an earlier version of the Receiver’s plan.

While Federal Prison Receiver Clark Kelso has acknowledged that his project “will result in the construction of 7 million square feet of new medical facilities—the equivalent of 70 Wal-Mart stores,” he has released to the public only one version of his plans. An earlier version -- which describes in graphic detail important elements of the $8 billion construction program -- has been kept under court seal.

Attorney General’s Filing

In August of this year, the court appointed Receiver filed a motion seeking to compel Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Controller John Chiang to allocate $8 billion from the California Treasury over the next 5 years, including $3 billion in this fiscal year, for prison healthcare facility construction. Attorney General Brown has argued that the federal court does not have the legal authority to mandate state prison construction, nor has the Receiver justified the massive sums called for in his plan.

“In ordering the state to fund the Receiver’s massive prison construction program, the district court clearly violated federal law, and its decision must be reversed,” Attorney General Brown wrote in his filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), approved by Congress in 1996, bars federal courts from ordering states to fund state prison construction.

The Receiver’s $8 billion demand includes construction of 7 new prison healthcare facilities containing 10,000 new beds for prisoners with acute and long-term health needs. The plan would also improve healthcare and mental health facilities at each of the 33 existing state prisons.

The State of California has acknowledged the need to provide constitutionally adequate healthcare. The state, however, argues that the Receiver has not complied with the Prison Litigation Reform Act, which requires that any prison remediation plan that a court orders “is narrowly drawn, extends no further than necessary to correct the violation of the Federal right, and is the least intrusive means necessary to correct the violation of the Federal right.” (18 U.S.C. § 3626(a)(1)(A)).

State Has Made Progress on Health Care

One of the fundamental problems in fulfilling the state’s constitutional healthcare mandate was the lack of qualified medical staff to treat the inmates. According to his own reports, the Receiver will have 90% of nursing and physician positions filled by January 2009, up from 50% when he was appointed.

The Receiver has also begun to change the process by which inmates are assessed and how they are treated, actions which address the deficiencies that led to appointment of the Receiver.

These steps have significantly improved the level of care provided to prisoners.

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Attorney General Brown Announces Crackdown on Violent Richmond Gang

November 13, 2008
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

RICHMOND—California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus today announced the arrests this morning of 18 gang members of the dangerous Deep Central criminal street gang that has been “wantonly terrorizing” Richmond for the last five years.

“This notorious street gang has been wantonly terrorizing the neighborhoods of Richmond with robberies, prostitution, drug trafficking and even murders,” said Attorney General Brown. “Just last year, more than 20 homicides in the city resulted from the gang war between Deep Central and the Project Trojans.”

In response to the 47 homicides in Richmond last year—the highest per-capita murder rate in California—Attorney General Brown authorized the gang investigation that resulted in today’s major gang takedown. Formed in 2003, the Deep Central gang, also known as Deep C, includes an estimated 100 members who claim Richmond as their territory. The gang is one of the largest and most violent criminal street gangs in Richmond, engaging in drug trafficking, robbery, assault and prostitution. Residential neighborhoods are often ground zero for some of the gang’s most violent activity.

At approximately 7 a.m. this morning, more than 200 state, local and federal law enforcement personnel served 40 search warrants and 43 arrest warrants in Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, and Sacramento County. In addition to the arrests, agents seized substantial quantities of cocaine and marijuana, with an estimated street value of $100,000. Agents also seized 8 firearms, including a fully automatic weapon, a ballistic vest and more than $17,000 in cash. One of the gang associates arrested in today’s operation, Kaisha Hill, was a City of Richmond Parks and Recreation juvenile group counselor who had a stash that included a kilo of cocaine and 3 guns, one of which was a Mac-11 automatic weapon.

The Attorney General’s investigation began after two of the gang’s leaders, Todd Gillard and Rohnell Robinson, attempted to kill a rival gang member in a drive-by shooting at Hilltop Mall in Richmond. Gillard and Robinson instead shot the rival’s 17 year-old girlfriend in the neck, leaving her a quadriplegic. At a grand jury trial, Gillard and Robinson were both indicted for attempted murder and are in custody, awaiting trial. Prior to his arrest, Gillard was identified as the “shooter” in at least two other drive-by shootings with rival gang members in residential neighborhoods in Richmond.

Narcotics agents from the Attorney General’s Office led today’s operation in conjunction with the Richmond Police Department. During the course of the investigation, arrests were made for homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, grand theft, shooting at a vehicle, possession for sale of marijuana, possession for sale and transportation of cocaine, possession of an assault weapon, and prostitution.

Other law enforcement agencies participating in today’s operation include the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigations, West Contra Costa County Narcotic Enforcement Team, Central Contra Costa County Narcotic Enforcement Team, Napa Special Investigations Bureau, Marin County Narcotic Task Force, Elk Grove Police Department, and Rancho Cordova Police Department.

The Attorney General’s Office assists local law enforcement when severe gang problems cross jurisdictional boundaries. State agents have recently shut down a Norteño street gang and a violent Cambodian street gang in Stockton, a Sureño gang in Atwater and the Varrio Central Poros, a brutal criminal street gang that terrorized the City of Porterville for years. Brown’s special agents have also participated in recent crime crackdowns in East Palo Alto, Oakland, and Compton