Did You Know ...
From the Office of the Alameda County District Attorney
Nancy E. O'Malley, District Attorney
June, 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
Alameda County District Attorney's Office Goes to Washington.
|
On May 9, 2010 Nancy O'Malley led a team from the District
Attorney's Office on a week long work trip to  Washington
D.C.
Of foremost importance, Ms. O'Malley, along with Deputy District
Attorneys Sharmin Bock and Eric Swalwell and D.A. Inspectors Harry Hu and Craig
Chew, attended the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial to pay respect to
Police Officers who have been killed in the line of duty and to honor the four
slain Oakland Police Officers. President
Obama addressed the large crowd gathered at the Memorial. The D.A. contingent also attended an
emotional candlelight vigil officiated by United States Attorney Eric Holder. While in our Nation's Capitol, Ms. O'Malley and team were
able to meet with many officials in order to highlight the Office's programs
and collaborations that have become national models. In various meetings and forums, the D.A.
representatives presented on the Restitution Unit, the H.E.A.T. Watch program,
New Beginnings, the Alameda County
Family Justice Center
and the Alameda County
Juvenile Justice Center.
During the week, the group attended two meetings at the
 White House. In the first of the two
meetings, Ms. O'Malley, Mr. Swalwell and Inspector Chew met with the President's
White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Lynn Rosenthal, and spoke about
the Family Justice Center's
concept of collaborative comprehensive services. The next day, Ms. O'Malley and her team were
asked to return to the White House to brief members of the Domestic Policy
Council on the issues presented the day before to Ms. Rosenthal. Ms. O'Malley, Mr. Swalwell and Ms. Bock also
met with the President's Domestic Policy Council to discuss H.E.A.T. Watch, the
DA's innovative blueprint to combat human exploitation and trafficking.
 In another venue, Ms. Bock addressed a Senate Panel on
Domestic Human Trafficking, a hearing sponsored by the Senate's Human
Trafficking Caucus. The Panel was keenly
interested in the H.E.A.T. Watch Program.
The same topic was also addressed in a meeting at the Office of Violence
Against Women. The DA team attended
additional meetings at the Office of Victims of Crime.
During the week, Ms. O'Malley met with local representatives
Jerry McNerney (CA-11), John Garamendi (CA-10), and Barbara Lee (CA-9), as well
as Rep. Daniel Lungren (CA-3), a member of
the Human Trafficking Caucus, and Jackie Speier (CA-12).
Ms. O'Malley was honored to meet with California Senator
Diane Feinstein and to have the opportunity to speak to her about the excellent
work of the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
For more about this trip, visit the District Attorney's website to view videos.
President Obama speaks at the Fallen Officer Memorial
Reading the names of the fallen officers from California
Deputy District Attorney Bock addresses Senate Hearing on Domestic Human Trafficking
|
|
Oakland
After-School Programs
Play Key Role in Keeping Kids Out of the Juvenile Justice System
|
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O'Malley, Assemblymember
Sandre Swanson, and OPD Assistant Chief Howard Jordan visited students at Melrose  Leadership
Academy's Community
Bridges after-school program on May 21st. The group met with kindergarten and 6th to 8th grade students who were
engaged in learning and creative activities that enhance their school
experience and keep them in a safe environment in the after school hours.
"As the county's head prosecutor, I know the hours after the
school day ends are critical to public safety," said D.A. O'Malley. "After-school programs encourage kids to
thrive in school and life, while helping them avoid the traps of delinquent
behavior, including drug use, vandalism and gang affiliation."
A recent report by FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS determined
that California's
after-school programs play a major role in increasing student attendance and
academic performance while helping to decrease crime rates. The program at Melr ose has rich offerings and is a
recognized model for after-school programs. The extended day activities at Melrose are tightly
integrated with the learning that takes place during the normal school day and
the programs are aligned with the school's goals for student achievement and
positive school climate.
|
If You Have Been the Victim of a Crime, You Have the Right
to Know Your Rights!
|
 Now presented in English, Spanish, Cantonese & Tagalog!
To learn more about your rights, you may view a short video created for you by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
A more detailed written explanation about victims' rights is available on the District Attorney's Website.
|
"Murder Conviction in Stabbing Death of UC Berkeley Student"
| |
Man convicted in UC Berkeley student's slaying
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, May 14, 2010
A former Berkeley
City College
student was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of
a UC Berkeley student on fraternity row two years ago.
Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield, 22, was also found guilty of an
enhancement for using a knife to kill 21-year-old Christopher Wootton during a
chaotic off-campus scuffle on May 3, 2008.
Read more at SFGate.com...
|
|
|
|
District Attorney's Office Takes Part in the Local-State-Federal Law Enforcement Executives Symposium
| The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California hosted a two-day symposium in Monterey on May 26 and 27, 2010. Hundreds of senior level law enforcement executives gathered to learn about innovative strategies taking hold on local and national levels to address the issue of youth and gang violence. Presenters spoke on a wide variety of topics including re-entry strategies in San Francisco and San Benito Counties, the juvenile robbery intervention program in New York, and cooperative multi-agency approaches in Salinas. Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Teresa Drenick spoke about the DA's Truancy Program as part of a panel "Stemming the Tide of Juveniles into the Juvenile Justice System."
|
Certified Public Accountant Sentenced to 17 Years in Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme
| On May 26, 2010 Maynard Weldon Moreland, a Certified Public Accountant with a practice in Livermore, CA, was sentenced to 17 years in State Prison following his February 19, 2010 plea of no contest to 34 felonies stemming from a massive fraud and embezzlement prosecution. The offenses include 21 charges of grand theft, 12 charges of financial elder abuse and a felony charge of engaging in a pattern of theft conduct. There are 20 victims of his criminal activity.
Seven of Moreland's victims are elder investors and the 20 victims reported losing the amount of $2,727,961.39. Moreland admitted responsibility for defrauding his clients who trusted him with making investments on their behalf in real estate ventures over the past 20 years. The fraud was discovered in 2009. Moreland operated his scheme by soliciting his victims to invest in local and out of state real estate development projects, however he did not invest their money as promised. Instead, he embezzled all the fund for his own enrichment. Some of the victims took out second loans on their homes to finance the investments that Moreland promoted. Moreland paid clients monthly interest payments to maintain their trust.
Moreland admitted responsibility in an apology letter to his victims, which was read in open court at his sentencing hearing. Moreland has remained in jail since May 5, 2009. Since his arrest, The District Attorney's Office has searched for Moreland assets and has recovered the approximate sum of $417,000 of the defendant's funds through search warrants and court orders. On June 25, 2010, the District Attorney will petition the Superior Court to distribute recovered funds to the crime victims. This Ponzi investment scheme was investigated by the Livermore Police Department and the investigation is ongoing regarding the recovery of assets. Information can be reported to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office at (510) 569-9281.
|
Court Closure Days 2010
|
The Alameda County Superior Court will be closed the third
Wednesday of each month. The closures,
which will be treated as holidays for judicial business purposes, are a result
of funding reductions. Court closures
will take place in every county throughout the state.
The following dates
are planned court closures:
June 16, 2010
No court business will be conducted on these dates. This includes both jury service and traffic
court. The Superior Courts' web site
has additional information regarding the closures:
www.alameda.courts.ca.gov
|
Seniors Investors Should be Wary of Annuity Sales
Presentations
| |
 Have you ever returned to your car from your church or a
shopping trip to find a flyer on your windshield advertising a free lunch and a
free estate-planning seminar? The Alameda County District Attorney has learned
that such tactics are used by annuity sales representatives to lure seniors
into sales presentations. Once at the seminars, seniors are led to believe that
their finances are a mess and the best way to promote economic independence is
to purchase an annuity. The sales pitch is always for an annuity investment
regardless of the economic concern of the individual investor. Why do these
sales people recommend annuities? Most commissions on annuities range from
6-8%, so the sales representative who can convince a senior to move $50,000
from a bank certificate or individual retirement account into an annuity stands
to earn $3,000 - $4,000. Not a bad commission for an afternoon's work, but is
the investment in the best interest of the senior?
Read more (pdf) ...
|
|
Verdicts |
May 2010
Felony Verdicts
On May 20, 2010 a jury convicted Leonard Montalvo
of vehicular manslaughter, a felony. The crime occurred on the evening of
November 15, 2007 when the defendant engaged in a street race with another car
on Hegenberger Avenue
in Oakland.
During the race, the two cars reached speeds up to 100 mph. The car that the
defendant was racing against crashed, injuring the other driver and killing his
passenger, Mark Ian Mann. Sentencing will take place on June 10, 2010. The
prosecutor was DDA Armando Pastran. On May 14, 2010, a jury convicted Michael
Lockhart, 49, of possession of cocaine for sale and transportation of cocaine
based upon an incident in Oakland on March 18,
2007 in which Lockhart and an associate, John King, were involved in a shooting
during a drug transaction at 66th and Bancroft avenues in Oakland. The defendant drove King to Highland Hospital and tried to leave King and
walk away, but sheriff's deputies detained him. Lockhart discarded some cocaine
but the deputies were able to recover the drugs and discovered a loaded 9 mm
pistol and the tip of King's right middle finger in Lockhart's car. Lockhart
has two prior strike convictions. The Prosecutor is DDA Michael Nieto. On May 13, 2010 a jury convicted Andrew
Hoeft-Edenfield of second degree murder with the use of a knife. The defendant
stabbed and killed UC Berkeley student Christopher Wooton on Waring St., near the campus on May 3,
2008. Before the murder, the defendant and a friend had a verbal dispute with
some of Wooton's fraternity brothers. When the argument escalated,
Hoeft-Edenfield pulled a knife and stabbed Wooton in the chest, breaking a rib
and slicing his heart. Hoeft-Edenfield will be sentenced on June 11, 2010. The Prosecutor was DDA
Connie Campbell. On May 10, 2010 Masal James was found guilty of bank robbery
after a ten day court trial. James entered the Washington Mutual Bank near Stoneridge Shopping Center
in Pleasanton
on September 28, 2007. He approached the teller and demanded money, threatening
to shoot her if she didn't comply. James took the money and ran to a Salvation
Army truck parked nearby, where he had been working as a mover on the truck. A
witness saw him, and called the police the next day when she read about the
robbery. Pleasanton Police detectives conducted a follow-up investigation,
which lead to James being identified as the responsible. James is currently on
federal parole for bank robbery. The prosecutor was Jerry Herman
On May 5, 2010, Jeffery Bell was found guilty of rape and
penetration with a foreign object. Bell
confronted a 67-year-old woman walking her dog near the Hayward Plunge on
January 2, 2008. He forcibly attacked her in an isolated area. A subsequent DNA
match through CODIS identified Bell,
who denied the attack. A jury found him guilty after an hour and a half of
deliberations. Bell
is a transient parolee who has two prior strikes. This conviction is his third
strike. The prosecutor was Tom Burke.
|
|
|
"I have a friend who is a victim of a crime but she speaks only Cantonese. Where can she learn about her rights?" |
The District Attorney's Office has videos explaining victims' rights in four different languages --
English, Spanish, Cantonese & Tagalog.
|
Do you have a question for the District Attorney's Office?
|
The District Attorney's Office receives many calls and
e-mails from the public asking a wide variety of questions. Each month, we will print one of these
questions along with the answer. We hope
that many readers will find the information useful.
Please feel free to e-mail a question of your own that you
would like to see answered here. |
We hope you found this newsletter informative. Please visit our web site at alcoda.org
for updated news items as well as more detailed information regarding the
District Attorney's Office.
|
|
Nancy E. O'Malley
Alameda County District Attorney
|
|
|
|
|
