On January 25, 2022 the California Attorney General issued a statewide alert for consumers to beware of illegitimate COVID-19 testing sites. These sites may fail to provide test results and/or use the patients’ personal identifiable information to commit fraud. The AG’s alert offers tips on how to avoid testing site scams, as well as how to locate legitimate, verified testing sites. Attorney General Bonta Warns Californians to Beware of Illegitimate COVID-19 Testing Sites | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General Please report fake testing sites in San Mateo County to our Consumer & Environmental Unit. A complaint form can be obtained by calling (650) 363-4651. State and spell your name and address on the recording and a complaint form will be mailed to you. You can also fill to out here: consumer complaint form. Completed complaint forms should be emailed to smda@smcgov.org, sent by US mail to San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, 400 County Center, 3rd Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063 or delivered to our office.
On January 8, 2022 the Governor issued a statewide Executive Order (N-2-22) prohibiting price gouging in the sale of at-home COVID testing kits. It is operative through March 31, 2022. It generally prohibits anyone who sold at-home testing kits as of December 1, 2021 from increasing prices by greater than 10 percent. Anyone selling testing kits who did not sell them as of December 1, 2021 is prohibited from charging 50 percent greater than what they paid for the kit themselves. Violating the Executive Order is a misdemeanor violation of Government Code section 8665, which is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both. This would also constitute a violation of the Unfair Competition Law. Please report illegal price gouging in San Mateo County to our Consumer & Environmental Unit. A complaint form can be obtained by calling (650) 363-4651. State and spell your name and address on the recording and a complaint form will be mailed to you. You can also fill out the consumer complaint form. Completed complaint forms should be emailed to smda@smcgov.org, sent by US mail to San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, 400 County Center, 3rd Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063 or delivered to our office.
On January 5th, 2022, Jose Nunez, Vice Chancellor of Facilities for the the San Mateo County College District pled nolo contendere to two counts of the Education Code section 7054 felony: Use of Community College District resources for political purposes (the election of candidate Mohr for District Board and the bond measure for District projects). The defendant’s pleas were conditioned on his testifying fully and truthfully if called to testify as a witness in any proceeding or trial related to the DA’s Office ogoing investigation of the Community College District. There was no sentence limitation and the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 3 years, 8 months in state prison for the two felony convictions. The case was continued to July 15, 2022 8:30 to set a date for sentencing. The remaining charges were dismissed as part of the plea bargain for truthful testimony. The defendant remains out of custody on his own recognizance.
Here is a brief summary of Senate Bill (SB) 9, which will take effect on January 1, 2022, and will require local agencies to ministerially approve urban lot splits and two-unit residential projects in single-family residential zones when certain criteria are met.
BAY AREA PROSECUTORS JOIN FORCES TO COMBAT ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT As Organized Retail Thieves Turn to New Tactics, Bay Area Prosecutors Form Alliance to Ensure Accountability STOCKTON – Today, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe announced an alliance between Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, Marin, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara counties, law enforcement, and state agencies to combat the recent increase in organized retail theft. Each office has pledged a prosecutor to collaborate and participate in the joint effort.
People v. Randall Neustaedter On October 5, 2021, after less than a full day of deliberations, a jury found Defendant Randall J. Neustaedter guilty of 9 felony counts relating to the sexual assault of 3 different women who had been patients at his acupuncture clinic located on Woodside Road in Redwood City in 2015.
People v. Lamar Dekari Stevens On October 5, 2021, a jury found Defendant Lamar Dekari Stevens guilty of 14 felony counts relating to the burglary and sexual assault of a 65 year-old victim in Menlo Park in 2017.
People v. Victoria Soledad Garcia On September 22, 2021, a jury convicted Defendant Victoria Soledad Garcia of second-degree murder and felony dissuading a witness. The jury also found the special allegation of the use of a deadly weapon to be true.
On September 14, 2021, a jury convicted 77 year-old Defendant John Arthur Getreu, a Hayward resident, of 1st Degree Murder, which he committed in 1974.
OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING Officer Involved Fatal Shooting Of Roger Allen On April 7, 2021
People v. Deandre Gantt, San Bruno Police Department On August 2nd, 2021, a jury convicted Defendant Deandre Gannt of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, carrying a loaded and concealed firearm in public and active participation in a criminal street gang, all of which occurred in 2019. The jury also found the special allegations of personal and intentional discharge of a firearm and infliction of great bodily injury to be true. At approximately 4:00 pm on July 2, 2019, Defendant Gantt fired nine gunshots inside the Tanforan mall in San Bruno. Defendant Gantt hit two individuals – one victim was shot once in the thigh while the second victim was shot twice in the abdomen. Both victims survived. The victims were all associated with a criminal street gang out of San Francisco. Defendant Gantt was a member of a rival criminal street gang also from San Francisco. Defendant Gantt had been previously shot by a member of the criminal street gang associated with the victim’s group in 2016. Law enforcement believes Defendant Gantt’s motive for the shooting at Tanforan was retaliation for that previous incident. Critical testimony was presented during the jury trial by a veteran police officer of the San Francisco Police Department who was recognized in court as a criminal street gang expert. The prosecutor was Deputy Amelia Diedrich and the Investigating Officer was Sgt. Mike Blundell of the San Bruno Police Department.
People v. Linda Haskin-Gologorsky On June 21, 2021, defendant Linda Haskin-Gologorsky, AKA Princess Leia Lucas, was convicted of 33 felony counts following a 10-day jury trial. The charges included forgery, the filing and manufacturing of false documents, burglary, and perjury. On July 20, 2021, Haskin-Gologorsky was sentenced to 8 years in prison by the Honorable Judge Mark McCannon, a visiting judge from Alameda County Superior Court.