Joseph Emerson is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday on 83 charges of recklessly endangering another person — for each person on the plane — and one charge of endangering an aircraft.

He previously pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges filed by state prosecutors and to a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew.

Emerson’s defence lawyers welcomed the grand jury’s decision.

“The attempted murder charges were never appropriate in this case because Captain Emerson never intended to hurt another person or put anyone at risk – he just wanted to return home to his wife and children,” his defence lawyers Ethan Levi, Noah Horst and Norah Van Dusen said in a statement. “Simply put: Captain Emerson thought he was in a dream.”

Prosecutors have accused Emerson of trying to cut the engines on the October 22 flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco while riding in the extra seat in the cockpit.

The FBI said in an affidavit that after a brief struggle, Emerson left the cockpit and flight attendants placed him in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft which was diverted to Portland.

According to charging documents, Emerson told Port of Portland police he had been struggling with depression, that a friend had recently died and that he had taken psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours before he attempted to cut the engines. He also said he had not slept in more than 40 hours.

Emerson remains in custody in Multnomah County, Oregon.

The post Tried homicide costs dropped towards pilot who tried to chop engines appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury today convicted Harlan Kelly, the former General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of charges that he accepted bribes and gifts from a local businessman in a scheme to provide confidential information about the city public bidding process and steer city contracts to that person’s businesses, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. The verdict follows a two-week trial before United States Chief District Judge Richard Seeborg.

Kelly, 61, of San Francisco, was arrested on a criminal complaint in November 2020, and he was tried on charges contained in a May 31, 2022, superseding indictment that included charges of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. The superseding indictment also included charges of false statements to a bank, conspiracy to make false statements to a bank, bank fraud, and bank fraud conspiracy, related to a scheme to defraud Quicken Loans in connection with a $1.3 million mortgage refinance loan obtained by Kelly.

Kelly was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, one count of honest services wire fraud, and all four counts related to the bank fraud scheme. The jury found Kelly not guilty of two honest services wire fraud counts.

The charges against, and prosecution of, Kelly grew out of a years-long investigation into bribery and public corruption in San Francisco city government, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI. To date, 13 individuals have been charged in connection that larger set of investigations, including Mohammed Nuru, former director of the San Francisco Public Works department, and multiple city contractors and other facilitators of bribes and corruption.

The evidence at trial showed that Kelly, appointed in 2012 as General Manager of the San Francisco PUC, had access to confidential information about city contract bidding processes, and the ability to influence the awarding of some city contracts. Documents and testimony showed that Kelly had a close personal and professional relationship with San Francisco business owner and contractor Walter Wong, and that during the time Wong both conducted business with the city and sought additional lucrative contracts to supply the PUC with LED streetlights. While he was doing business with the city and seeking contracts, Wong provided numerous gifts, benefits, and bribes to Kelly. These bribes including discounted construction work on Kelly’s personal residence and a lavish international trip hosted by and in part paid for by Wong. Evidence showed that Wong paid travel and personal expenses for Kelly and his family during a March 2016 Kelly family vacation to Hong Kong, Macau, and China, and that Wong paid for hotel expenses and incidentals such as meals and luxury excursions. Wong has previously pleaded guilty to charges that he engaged in an honest services fraud conspiracy in connection with his interactions with Kelly and others.

The evidence at trial showed that as part of the bribery conspiracy, Kelly provided confidential information and documents about the details of bids submitted by other contractors, including proprietary pricing and cost information, and information and documents with internal notes about how city employees in the PUC were evaluating and rating the bidders. The evidence showed that Kelly delivered these documents to Wong and his associates in violation of Kelly’s fiduciary obligations to the city and its residents, and that the confidential information assisted Wong and his company in improving Wong’s chances to obtain the contract award.

Trial evidence also showed that Kelly defrauded Quicken Loans, a financial institution, in a $1.3 million dollar real estate mortgage loan provided to Kelly. The evidence at trial showed that Kelly worked with an associate, prominent city businessman and property manager Victor Makras, to mislead the bank. According to the evidence, in the application for the loan Kelly falsely represented that he had a $915,000 mortgage and concealed the true nature of his debts from Quicken. According to the trial evidence, these misrepresentations were material to the bank’s evaluation of the borrower and the loan. The outstanding debts that Kelly concealed from Quicken included a construction debt owed to the contractor, Walter Wong that amounted to about $89,000. Another debt concealed from the company was a $70,000 unsecured personal loan made by Makras to Kelly, a result of Makras directly paying Kelly’s credit card debt in order to conceal the fact that Kelly received this loan from Makras.

Co-defendant Makras, 64 of San Francisco, was also charged in the May 31, 2022 superseding indictment, and was convicted of making false statements to a bank and bank fraud at a separate trial in August 2022.

The federal jury today convicted Kelly of the following:

•    One count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343, 1346, and 1349, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss
•    One count of honest services wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1346, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss
•    One count of making false statements to a bank in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine
•    One count of conspiracy to make false statements to a bank in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000
•    One count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344(1),(2), which carries a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or not more than the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss
•    One count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344(1),(2) and 1349, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or not more than the greater of twice the gross gain or gross loss

As part of any sentence, the court also may order the defendant to serve an additional period of supervised release to begin after any prison term, to pay additional penalties, and to pay restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Defendant Kelly remains out of custody pending sentencing. No future date has yet been set.

The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Kristina Green prosecuted the case at trial with the assistance of Tina Rosenbaum. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the IRS-CI.

The post Northern District of California | Jury Convicts Former San Francisco Public Utilities Fee Basic Supervisor of Felony Bribery and Financial institution Fraud Costs appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

After Arrest in United Kingdom, Zhang Li Admits Role in Scheme to Bribe Mohammed Nuru; Zhang’s U.S.-based Real Estate Development Company also Charged

October 16, 2023 – SAN FRANCISCO – Zhang Li, founder and chief executive officer of a Chinese real estate development company appeared last night in U.S. District Court on charges that he bribed former head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works Mohammed Nuru, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. A U.S. company that Zhang controls, Z&L Properties, Inc., was also charged with honest services wire fraud for providing bribes and gifts to Nuru in exchange for favorable city treatment of Z&L Properties’ mixed-use project at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco, Calif. As part of a negotiated disposition both Zhang and Z&L Properties will waive the right to indictment and admit that they engaged in certain conduct.

Zhang, 70, of Guangzhou, China, has been charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. According to the Information, Zhang bribed Nuru by providing him with food, drinks, luxury lodging, and transportation during a trip Nuru took to China in 2018. The Information alleges the purpose of the bribe was to influence Nuru so that he would provide favorable treatment on decisions and city approvals needed during the construction and development of a mixed-use property at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco being developed by Zhang and a company Zhang controlled.

Z&L Properties Inc., a U.S. company formerly based in Fremont, Calif., and controlled by Zhang, was also charged in a separate Information with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and honest services wire fraud for its participation in the bribery scheme. Z&L Properties managed the development of the 555 Fulton Street project and the company facilitated the payment of bribes to Nuru in exchange for favorable treatment regarding the 555 Fulton project, according to the allegations in the criminal Information.

“Zhang Li and Z&L Properties have admitted that they bribed a top San Francisco public official. The criminal charges and resolutions announced today send a clear message that this office will not tolerate the corruption of public officials in the District by anyone, including individuals acting from outside of the United States,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins. “To those who seek to corrupt public officials in the United States, wherever they are, we will use the powers at our disposal to bring them to justice and hold them accountable to the rule of law.”

“Zhang Li, who earned his profits through bribery of a San Francisco public official, is yet another individual charged in connection to our ongoing public corruption case,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Public corruption erodes public confidence and strikes at the very foundation of our government. The citizens of San Francisco deserve better, and we stand firmly committed to investigating both corrupt officials and private citizens who attempt to bribe them, no matter where they reside.”

“IRS-Criminal Investigation’s priority is to ensure a fair and level playing field for all taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. “Mr. Li’s conduct shows that greed and financial crimes have no borders, and we will continue to pursue those who take advantage of our system and taxpayers by following the money worldwide. We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case a step closer to closure.”

Zhang originally was charged by criminal complaint in May of 2021. At the request of the United States, Zhang was arrested when he arrived in the United Kingdom in December 2022 and the United States pursued extradition. After approximately six months, Zhang consented to extradition and was subsequently surrendered to U.S. authorities. The charges against Zhang now are set forth in an Information filed by the government.

Zhang appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse in the Northern District of California. Magistrate Judge Tse released Zhang on a bond pending further proceedings.

According to the documents filed in Zhang’s case, the defendant and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have entered a deferred prosecution agreement. Under that agreement filed today, Zhang admitted to the conduct that forms the basis of the charge in the Information, and, if Zhang abides by the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, the charge will be dismissed in three years.

According to filed documents, Z&L Properties also will plead guilty to charges set out in the Information filed against it; Z&L also will agree to a comprehensive compliance and remediation program designed to prevent bribery and corruption in connection with Z&L Properties’ real estate development work. Z&L Properties has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud, will pay a fine of $1,000,000, and will enter into a corporate compliance program acceptable to the Office of the U.S. Attorney. Z&L Properties appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse today, and the court set a further hearing before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, on August 10, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

The charges against Zhang and Z&L Properties arose from an investigation into bribery and public corruption in San Francisco city government led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI. To date, more than 14 individuals and entities have been charged in connection that larger set of investigations, including Mohammed Nuru, former director of the San Francisco Public Works department; Harlan Kelly, the former general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; and multiple city contractors and other facilitators of bribes and corruption.

Nuru was charged in January 2020, pleaded guilty in January 2022, and on August 25, 2022, Nuru was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. A separate defendant charged in the investigation, Walter Wong, was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s San Francisco City Hall corruption investigation.

An Information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant Zhang faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. Z&L Properties faces a maximum fine of $500,000 per count, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Robert Leach are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and United Kingdom authorities for their assistance in the extradition.

Source: DOJ Release

Related:

Property Developer Z&L Properties Fined $1 Million After Pleading Guilty To Honest Services Fraud Conspiracy

Company Admitted Its Chairman Bribed Former San Francisco Department of Public Works Head Mohammed Nuru with Meals, Hotel Stay During China Trip

October 16, 2023 – SAN FRANCISCO – Z&L Properties Inc., a Foster City, California-based subsidiary of a Chinese property development company, was ordered to pay a $1 million fine as part of its sentence for bribing a San Francisco official in exchange for favorable treatment on a construction project, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Orrick, United States District Judge.

According to the plea agreement, Z&L Properties’ executives approved or paid bribes to former San Francisco Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, including providing him and another individual with food, drinks, lodging, and transportation during a trip to China in 2018. The purpose of the payments was to influence Nuru to act favorably on Z&L Properties’ requests for city approvals needed to complete construction of a mixed-use property owned by Z&L Properties at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco.

Z&L Properties was charged by Information on July 18, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud. Z&L Properties pleaded guilty to the criminal scheme on August 17, 2023. In addition to the $1 million fine, Judge Orrick ordered Z&L Properties to implement a three-year anti-corruption corporate compliance program.

Also charged in the scheme was Zhang Li, 70, of Guangzhou, China. Zhang was the owner and controlling member of Z&L Properties as well as the chairman, co-founder, and chief executive officer of R&F Properties Co. Ltd., a real estate holdings and development company based in Guangzhou, China. R&F Properties does business in the United States through Z&L Properties Ltd. Zhang was charged by Criminal Complaint for his role in bribing Nuru. Zhang was arrested in London in November 2022 on an arrest warrant issued in the Northern District of California. He was required to post a £15 million ($19.1 million) bond and remained under house arrest in London for seven months before being extradited to the United States. Zhang waived extradition in June, returned to the United States, and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States.

This case is part of a larger federal investigation targeting public corruption in the City and County of San Francisco. Nuru was charged in January 2020 with a long-running honest services fraud scheme. Nuru pleaded guilty to several charges on January 6, 2022, and was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison on August 25, 2022. Another defendant, Wing Lok “Walter” Wong was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru and others. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s corruption investigations. Judge Orrick has scheduled Wong’s sentencing hearing for January 18, 2024.

Assistant United States Attorney David Ward is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Source: DOJ Release

The post Chinese language Nationwide Actual Property Developer Seems in Court docket to Face Expenses of Bribing a Distinguished San Francisco Public Official appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO – Zhang Li, founder and chief executive officer of a Chinese real estate development company appeared last night in U.S. District Court on charges that he bribed former head of the San Francisco Department of Public Works Mohammed Nuru, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Robbins, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. A U.S. company that Zhang controls, Z&L Properties, Inc., was also charged with honest services wire fraud for providing bribes and gifts to Nuru in exchange for favorable city treatment of Z&L Properties’ mixed-use project at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco, Calif. As part of a negotiated disposition both Zhang and Z&L Properties will waive the right to indictment and admit that they engaged in certain conduct.

Zhang, 70, of Guangzhou, China, has been charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. According to the Information, Zhang bribed Nuru by providing him with food, drinks, luxury lodging, and transportation during a trip Nuru took to China in 2018. The Information alleges the purpose of the bribe was to influence Nuru so that he would provide favorable treatment on decisions and city approvals needed during the construction and development of a mixed-use property at 555 Fulton Street in San Francisco being developed by Zhang and a company Zhang controlled.

Z&L Properties Inc., a U.S. company formerly based in Fremont, Calif., and controlled by Zhang, was also charged in a separate Information with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and honest services wire fraud for its participation in the bribery scheme. Z&L Properties managed the development of the 555 Fulton Street project and the company facilitated the payment of bribes to Nuru in exchange for favorable treatment regarding the 555 Fulton project, according to the allegations in the criminal Information.

“Zhang Li and Z&L Properties have admitted that they bribed a top San Francisco public official. The criminal charges and resolutions announced today send a clear message that this office will not tolerate the corruption of public officials in the District by anyone, including individuals acting from outside of the United States,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins. “To those who seek to corrupt public officials in the United States, wherever they are, we will use the powers at our disposal to bring them to justice and hold them accountable to the rule of law.”

“Zhang Li, who earned his profits through bribery of a San Francisco public official, is yet another individual charged in connection to our ongoing public corruption case,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Public corruption erodes public confidence and strikes at the very foundation of our government. The citizens of San Francisco deserve better, and we stand firmly committed to investigating both corrupt officials and private citizens who attempt to bribe them, no matter where they reside.”

“IRS-Criminal Investigation’s priority is to ensure a fair and level playing field for all taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian of the Oakland Field Office. “Mr. Li’s conduct shows that greed and financial crimes have no borders, and we will continue to pursue those who take advantage of our system and taxpayers by following the money worldwide. We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case a step closer to closure.”

Zhang originally was charged by criminal complaint in May of 2021. At the request of the United States, Zhang was arrested when he arrived in the United Kingdom in December 2022 and the United States pursued extradition. After approximately six months, Zhang consented to extradition and was subsequently surrendered to U.S. authorities. The charges against Zhang now are set forth in an Information filed by the government.

Zhang appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse in the Northern District of California. Magistrate Judge Tse released Zhang on a bond pending further proceedings.

According to the documents filed in Zhang’s case, the defendant and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have entered a deferred prosecution agreement. Under that agreement filed today, Zhang admitted to the conduct that forms the basis of the charge in the Information, and, if Zhang abides by the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, the charge will be dismissed in three years.

According to filed documents, Z&L Properties also will plead guilty to charges set out in the Information filed against it; Z&L also will agree to a comprehensive compliance and remediation program designed to prevent bribery and corruption in connection with Z&L Properties’ real estate development work. Z&L Properties has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and one count of honest services wire fraud, will pay a fine of $1,000,000, and will enter into a corporate compliance program acceptable to the Office of the U.S. Attorney. Z&L Properties appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse today, and the court set a further hearing before U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, on August 10, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

The charges against Zhang and Z&L Properties arose from an investigation into bribery and public corruption in San Francisco city government led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI. To date, more than 14 individuals and entities have been charged in connection that larger set of investigations, including Mohammed Nuru, former director of the San Francisco Public Works department; Harlan Kelly, the former general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission; and multiple city contractors and other facilitators of bribes and corruption.

Nuru was charged in January 2020, pleaded guilty in January 2022, and on August 25, 2022, Nuru was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. A separate defendant charged in the investigation, Walter Wong, was charged in June 2020 with conspiracy to defraud the public of its right to honest services and with conspiracy to engage in money laundering, both involving Nuru. Wong entered a guilty plea and agreed to cooperate with the government’s San Francisco City Hall corruption investigation.

An Information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant Zhang faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, plus restitution if appropriate. Z&L Properties faces a maximum fine of $500,000 per count, plus restitution if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ward and Robert Leach are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and United Kingdom authorities for their assistance in the extradition.

The post Northern District of California | Chinese language Nationwide Actual Property Developer Seems In Court docket To Face Fees Of Bribing A Distinguished San Francisco Public Official appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The head of a San Francisco city grant program, together with a former top city official, face corruption charges for an alleged four-year scheme to misappropriate tax dollars to line their own pockets, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Lanita Henriquez, 53, and Dwayne Jones, 56, both from Oakland, were the targets of the joint probe of the FBI and the San Francisco District Attorney’s public integrity task force.

Prosecutors allege that Jones, who is the founder and president of RDJ Enterprises, allegedly provided checks both to Henriquez, the head of the city’s Community Challenge Grant program, and her family members totaling nearly $200,000.

Between 2016 and 2020, Henriquez allegedly signed off on 23 contracts with Jones’ firm and other entities she and her family had financial interests in, prosecutors say.  

“The charges announced today reflect my office’s on-going commitment to hold public officials accountable when they seek to enrich themselves at the public’s expense,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement, adding that the grant funds were intended to benefit residents, “not to line the pockets of government officials.’’

The two defendants face one count of misappropriation of public funds, six counts of bribery and 23 conflict of interest-related counts. Neither could be reached for comment.

 Jones was the subject of an NBC Bay Area investigation in 2020 that found his company netted millions of dollars consulting on a city program that he helped create.

City records show Jones partnered with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission in 2011 to craft the agency’s Community Benefits Program, which gave contractors and consultants bidding on public projects extra credit for donating time and money to schools or nonprofits.

But since the program’s inception, records show at least seven firms bidding on SFPUC jobs tapped Jones to help craft their community benefits proposals.

Jones’s firm was also paid $7.1 million working as a community benefits consultant on five large public projects.

For much of the time, Jones also worked directly for the SFPUC under a $900,000 consulting contract inked in 2017, according to city records.

Critics contended Jones’ consulting work was a major conflict of interest.

In 2021, a scathing city audit found the program was “poorly designed” and at risk for potential abuse. Jones defended his role at the time, telling NBC Bay Area that his critics were jealous of his success. “There are haters in my neighborhood,” he said.

The post New prices filed in opposition to present, former San Francisco metropolis officers – NBC Bay Space appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The trial of a San Francisco police officer charged with involuntary manslaughter for shooting dead a man on the victim’s doorstep, which eventually led to his death several years later, continues in September when prosecutors are expected to find evidence in the victim’s home case will be presented.

The case of officer Kenneth Cha, whose preliminary hearing will be held on September 6, is the latest of three such counts of force charged by former prosecutor Chesa Boudin. The other two cases were dismissed.

The case revolves around Cha’s shooting death of Sean Moore in the Ocean View neighborhood in 2017. Moore was shot and killed on his doorstep by Cha but did not die until three years later from injuries sustained in the shooting.

The incident marked the first time in San Francisco that a police shooting was captured with a body-worn camera. Later that same year, Cha shot and killed a man armed with a knife at a Subway restaurant on Market Street.

“I hope the prosecutor sets a date for the preliminary investigation,” said Rebeca Young, who is representing the victim’s family.

Moore’s brother expressed relief that the long-delayed case is finally moving forward.

“This case has been going on for so long; It kind of took a toll on my mom,” said Ken Blackmon.

Sean Moore can be seen on the steps of his home in a still bodycam captured by the San Francisco Police Department before he was shot by Kenneth Cha. | Courtesy of SFPD

Moore, who suffered from mental health issues that may have played a role in his interaction with Cha, died in 2020 while serving time in San Quentin State Prison for an unrelated incident. Cha was charged with involuntary manslaughter by then-district attorney Boudin in 2021.

In July 2022, the case was taken over by a new assistant district attorney after Jenkins was appointed prosecutor following Boudin’s recall. Several delays in the case followed.

The post San Francisco Cop Dealing with Manslaughter Expenses Will Lastly Head to Trial  appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The San Francisco DA is suing a Bernal Heights property owner for illegally subdividing 13 housing units into 32 separate apartments. In doing so, it failed to contain a variety of “imminent and significant” fire hazards so serious that in one instance, renters were immediately removed from their unit because it would have been impossible to rescue them during a fire.

Meanwhile, James Tseng, the manager of four neighboring four buildings on Alemany Boulevard, charged tenants in 26 units rent for living in his buildings from November 2022.

“The landlord has made significant profits from the same tenants that it has impacted

way,” prosecutor David Chiu wrote in a statement. “We are taking steps to ensure the safety issues are addressed and the landlord held accountable.”

The city accused Tseng, his company 320 Alemany LLC and other unnamed individuals of being involved in the illegal conversions. The city is urging defendants to clean up any outstanding violations and pay tenants’ moving fees. In addition, the defendants could be billed approximately $11.1 million for failing to resolve 26 outstanding code violations.

In November 2022, multiple city authorities investigated Tseng, finding that he was collecting rent while illegally composing the interiors of his buildings, maximizing every inch of space.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter and get the latest Mission Local stories straight to your inbox.

Tseng allegedly crammed multiple bedrooms into one unit by dividing rooms, converting a laundry room into a full kitchen, and adding laundry hookups to closets, according to the lawsuit.

“If these harassment conditions are not remedied, residents will … suffer irreparable injury and damage,” the city’s complaint reads.

The illegal construction resulted in units with a variety of fire hazards that could have resulted in a disaster, according to the lawsuit.

In a notice of violations issued in December 2022, the Building Inspection Department cited Tseng for converting the rooms of five residential units into bedrooms “with no emergency exits.” Tseng never obtained the necessary permits to mitigate the problem, and the breach remained in place despite the building inspector’s repeated warnings.

Several units lacked fire safety devices such as a building-wide fire detection system, advanced sprinkler systems, and emergency exits. The lawsuit also listed references to “unlisted fire sites.”

In another unit, inspectors concluded that the tenants “could not be rescued in the event of a fire” and issued a 72-hour emergency warrant to evacuate the unit and relocate the tenants.

Tseng has a history of wrongdoing. Notices of violations date back to January 2009 – his first alleged illegal conversion, in which he “divided each floor of the building from one permitted dwelling into two prohibited dwellings.” While Tseng and his LLC applied for permits to remedy the situation in 2022, the applications remained pending. Violations cited by the city continue unabated.

In a particularly long-standing violation, Tseng was reported in March 2009 for a lack of accessible fire hose connections in the unit, as well as other livability concerns such as a leaking sink and broken cabinets in another unit. The city imposed a severe penalty, known as an “order of abatement,” on the property in 2013 to force redevelopment, but notice of the violation remains to this day — some 10 years later.

Tseng also allegedly approved of poor electrical and plumbing work in his units, which also suffered from pest infestations including mold and cockroaches; The cockroach infestation has never been fully mitigated. The prosecutor claimed that the conditions in Tseng’s units not only endanger the health and safety of residents, but also “insult the senses.”

The properties targeted by the prosecutor’s complaint are located at 316-18 Alemany Blvd., 320 Alemany Blvd., 322 Alemany Blvd. and 326-28 Alemany Blvd, all just a stone’s throw from the Alemany Farmers Market

The buildings aren’t the first in District 9 where contractors have illegally built numerous units into buildings, to the detriment of tenant safety: In 2021, the city investigated a series of connected four-story buildings at 2867 San Bruno with 19 additional units. This led to the resignation of chief inspector and now-confessional federal criminal Bernie Curran.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen, for her part, drew attention to a pattern where developers are unlawfully maximizing space – and profits – at the expense of tenants.

“The violations set out in this complaint against the owner are alarming and serious,” she said. “We must continue to make it clear as a city that knowingly disregarding our building and fire codes will not be tolerated as a cost of doing business for developers and will be punishable by a fine to the maximum extent permitted by law.”

You are important. Every dollar you donate helps us serve the city.

We depend on you, our readers, to fund our journalism.

The post SF sues landlord — costs him with illegally cramming 19 additional models into buildings appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — Prosecutors have alerted former San Francisco Fire Department Commissioner Don Carmignani that they will drop the charges he suffered a caning in front of his mother’s home in the city’s Marina District Earlier this month, according to his attorney.

Carmigiani, 53, was hit with a metal pipe and suffered serious head injuries, including a fractured skull. Hours earlier, he and his mother called 911 to report that three homeless people had set up camp at her home and said they had threatened his family with violence.

Carmigiani said neither the San Francisco Police Department nor homeless service providers responded to emergency calls. That evening he passed by the house and after telling the group to leave the house said that two people approached him threateningly, one of whom attacked him with the metal pipe.

In his first public statements since the attack, Carmignani said prosecutors had alerted his attorney that they were dismissing the case based on new evidence they had received — a video of a person alleging prosecutors Carmignani was using bear spray against him Homeless people in another incident.

Carmignani denies he is the person in the video and said the decision to dismiss the case came as a surprise to him.

Carmignani is still recovering from his serious injuries and said his doctor told him if his attacker had hit him in a specific spot again, he would have lost his life.

“I didn’t go out to fight anymore, I try to get them out on the street, go to the park,” Carmignani said. “It’s three against one. I know the odds. I’m 52 years old. I have two hip prostheses. I’m an old guy, I could have been a dead guy.”

Carmignani said his attorney pointed out that other evidence of assaults on homeless people believed to have been committed by Carmignani led to the decision to dismiss the case.

“All I know is that they showed me an interesting person and that wasn’t me,” he said.

After the attack, Garret Allen Doty, 24, was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault and violent assault.

A spokeswoman for the public defender’s office said Doty’s public defender “received a discovery from prosecutors containing evidence of previous unprovoked attacks on the homeless allegedly committed by Carmignani,” but she would not confirm if district attorney Brooke Jenkins to do so would drop the charges.

The prosecutor’s office did not respond to requests to drop the charges. The preliminary hearing for Doty is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday morning in the Hall of Justice.

Carmignani noted that neither the police department nor the prosecutor’s office interviewed him to get his version of events.

Cellphone video image of the attack on former San Francisco Fire Department Commissioner Don Carmignani

CBS

Carmignani said he was saddened by this new development and believed the city was in a complete state of chaos. He says the suspect is a threat to the community and he and his family fear for their lives living in the Marina District.

He said he thinks the city’s government has failed its residents, though he stopped blaming District Attorney Jenkins, and said he thinks politicians’ hands are tied.

After the attack, both Jenkins and Police Chief Bill Scott said the attack was the type of street crime that had rocked the city and that they were both committed to fighting it.

“I understand how a violent attack like this can upset a community and I am committed to holding the accused accountable so we send the strongest message that violence like this is unacceptable,” the prosecutor said in one Explanation. “I send strength to the victim as he continues his recovery and we will do everything in our power to achieve justice for the victim and the traumatized community.”

“Our hearts are with him and his family,” Scott told KPIX. “He is expected to survive his injuries, which is good news. But those kinds of brutal attacks and those kinds of brazen attacks, those are the things that scare people.”

If convicted on all charges, Doty faces up to seven years in prison.

The post Costs could also be dropped in brutal assault on former San Francisco Hearth Commissioner in Marina District appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she plans to drop manslaughter charges against a former police officer who became the first ever charged with an on-duty murder in the city because the charge was politically motivated.

Jenkins said in a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Rob Bonta that she intends to drop the charges against San Francisco police officer Christopher Samayoa at a March 1 hearing.

Samayoa was on his fourth day on the job when he fatally shot Keita O’Neil, a suspected auto thief, during a police chase in 2017.

Chesa Boudin, Jenkins’ predecessor, indicted Samayoa on manslaughter and other charges after he took office in 2020, calling his decision “historic”. Boudin was part of a politically progressive wave of prosecutors campaigning for restorative justice in mass incarceration. He was removed from his post last year amid frustration and concern over the pandemic and viral footage of Asian seniors being assaulted in San Francisco.

In the letter, obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, Jenkins said an investigation into Boudin’s handling of the case uncovered internal conflicts. She said the manslaughter charges were filed just before the statute of limitations had expired and the warrant was signed by an investigator assigned to the case days earlier – while the longtime lead investigator was on vacation.

“The irregularities and facts that have come to light in connection with the case against Officer Samayoa indicate that the charges were not made in good faith, appear to be politically motivated and have made it impossible for us to proceed with this prosecution.” .” Jenkins said in a statement on Friday.

Boudin did not immediately return a message on Friday asking for comment. He told the San Francisco Chronicle that he filed the case based on the facts, which he says also led to the Samayoa Police Department and the city firing Samayoa to pay O’Neil’s family a $2.5 million settlement to pay.

“It is clear that Jenkins coordinated with the officer’s defense team to avoid a public hearing on the troubling facts of the case,” he said. “She’s scapegoating me to try to divert attention from what this decision ultimately reveals about her: Jenkins won’t hold everyone equally accountable before the law, she’s deeply politically motivated, and she doesn’t care about the victims of police violence.”

Jenkins said her office asked the attorney general’s office to review the case to support the wishes of O’Neil’s family.

The bureau confirmed on Friday that it had received the application and is reviewing it.

O’Neil, who died in a hospital, was suspected of assaulting a California Lottery employee and stealing a van owned by the agency. Police said they chased the van and another SUV that was driving with it to a public housing area. O’Neil got out of the stolen vehicle and ran toward the squad car in which Samayoa, who was in the passenger seat, and his training officer were sitting.

Body camera footage shows Samayoa drawing his pistol while the cruiser was still moving. The video then shows him opening the side door and firing a single shot through the window while O’Neil runs in the opposite direction. O’Neil, who later died in a hospital, was unarmed.

An attorney for O’Neil’s family, Brian Ford, called Jenkins’ decision to drop the charges “shameful and cowardly.”

“She’s more interested in protecting murderous cops and attacking Boudin than in demanding justice for the citizens of San Francisco,” Ford told the newspaper. “But it means that Attorney General Rob Bonta is even more committed to investigating and bringing charges against Christopher Samayoa in the murder of Keita O’Neil.”

The post San Francisco’s DA drops prices towards former officer appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Despite hundreds of calls and complaints — and millions of dollars in contracts disputed by homeowners — an Ontario heating and cooling equipment company continues to operate even with dozens of charges alleging violations of the province’s Consumer Protection Act, a CBC Marketplace investigation reveals.

The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery is responsible for consumer protection, and states on its website that it handles complaints and enforces consumer protection laws.

Through a Freedom of Information request — a process that allows the public, including journalists, to access government records — Marketplace found that there have been more than 400 incidents, inquiries and complaints since January 2019 made to Consumer Protection Ontario, a program within the ministry , involving Ontario Green Savings.

• What do you think about this story? Do you have a question, experience or story tip to share? Send to email to ask@cbc.ca.

In those complaints, homeowners have described feeling “lied to,” “cheated” and “scammed.” And many shared detailed descriptions of how they were led to believe that Ontario Green Savings sales people were government employees offering savings and energy rebates that would show up on a utility bill.

But the Ontario government doesn’t offer such rebates through private HVAC companies.

Records obtained by Marketplace show that since 2019, homeowners have contacted the ministry to dispute more than $2.2 million in HVAC contracts with Ontario Green Savings.

Marketplace investigated this scam earlier this year, finding that instead of saving any money, residents say they find themselves trapped in contracts that can last ten years and cost thousands of dollars more than what the rental equipment is actually worth.

WATCH | Hidden cameras capture deceptive tactics used to sell overpriced HVAC contracts:

Hidden cameras catch HVAC scam in action

Exposing deceptive sales tactics used to suck people into unfair and overpriced HVAC contracts. And insiders reveal the new ways they get you to sign up for other home equipment too.

And it could get far worse for some.

When rental equipment is attached to a home, from a doorbell to a furnace, the associated company can place a lien against the title of that property as a form of security that the contract will be paid. And companies can place a lien on consumers’ homes immediately, even without a missed payment.

The team at Marketplace has heard from dozens of customers of Ontario Green Savings and its financial arm, many of whom say they were shocked to find a lien or Notice of Security Interest (NOSI) placed against the title of their homes without them knowing, which in Ontario is legal and can be done without a homeowner’s knowledge.

Ontario government wasn’t there to help, homeowners say

Abel Cheung from Orleans, Ont., is out more than $11,000 all because he signed up for a water filter that was supposed to save him money.

Cheung says he felt compelled to pay Ontario Green Savings more than $11,000 to have the lien placed on the title of his home removed. After installing a water filter in his basement the company placed a lien on his home the next day, which he only discovered when attempting to refinance his mortgage almost a year later.

“I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, how dare they put a lien against my home?'”

Keira Major from Hamilton, Ont., found herself in a similar situation. She paid the same HVAC company nearly $9,000 to buy out a HEPA filter and have her home’s lien removed. Major says she thought the company was associated with a government program.

Both turned to the ministry for help but say they got none.

Cheung filed his complaint in 2020, and major the following year. Cheung says the ministry did nothing, citing delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And Major received a letter stating that her complaint wouldn’t be investigated and referred her to the non-profit Pro Bono Ontario for legal advice.

“The department is there to just make the government look good, that we’re protecting our consumers when they’re really not,” said Major.

Government lays charges, but that doesn’t stop company

In 2019, the ministry laid dozens of charges against Ontario Green Savings and its director for violations of the Consumer Protection Act, but customers say it continues with the same deceptive sales tactics.

In an email statement, a lawyer representing Ontario Green Savings said “the company is currently investigating the allegations against it and will defend itself, where necessary, in a court of law.”

He also said the company has already “taken positive reformative action” by updating its policies and practices.

And in an email statement, the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery said that it “monitors complaints and takes appropriate enforcement action in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act.”

It also said that because the Ontario Green Savings case is before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

A possible fix