Suspicious death under investigation in Clearlake; police seek public assistance

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake Police officers are investigating a suspicious death in Clearlake and seeking information from the public to aid the investigation.

During a followup investigation in the 3900 Block of Laddell Avenue on Wednesday Det. Travis Lenz discovered a door to the residence had been forced open, according to a report from Sgt. Nick Bennett.

Bennett said Lenz entered the residence to investigate and located a deceased male.

Lenz believes the man appeared to have died under suspicious circumstances, Bennett said.

No identification of the deceased male has been made and the investigation to determine his identity and the cause of death is ongoing, according to Bennett.

The Clearlake Police Department requested that anyone with information regarding the incident or the identity of the decedent contact Det. Ryan Peterson at 707-994-8251, Extension 320.

Sheriff's office warns of fraud scheme targeting elderly

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued and advisory to the community about an apparent scam that is aimed at taking money from seniors.

Lt. Steve Brooks said the agency has received a report of a fraud scheme in which an elderly victim received a telephone call from a suspect, informing her of a relative who had supposedly been arrested outside of the country.

The suspect asked the victim for money so the relative could be released from jail, Brooks said.

This report appears to be very similar to a trend seen in early 2009 and again in March 2011 in which elderly victims were sending money to persons they thought were grandchildren in need, according to Brooks.

In March of 2011, an elderly Kelseyville woman reported getting a call from someone claiming to be her grandson. He claimed to have been arrested in Canada for drunk driving, Brooks said.

Brooks said the suspect talked the woman into wiring $2,800 via Western Union to Madrid, Spain, so he could pay his fines.

After returning home from wiring the $2,800, the woman got another call from the suspect asking for another $2,500 for attorney fees. The woman again wired money to Spain and after sending the $2,500, she was called a third time asking for another $2,000.

The third time, the woman refused and later contacted her son and found out her grandson had been in Redding the whole time, Brooks said.

In another case, an elderly Upper Lake woman received a call that her grandson was being held in jail in Madrid, Spain. She was told she needed to wire $2,000 to get her grandson out, Brooks said.

Fortunately in that case, the woman called her daughter who lived out of state as she was leaving to wire the money. Brooks said the woman's daughter called the sheriff’s office, which intervened before the $2,000 was sent to the suspect.

These are some examples of cases reported to the sheriff’s office. Brooks said there is no telling how many others have gone unreported.

He said the suspects in these cases usually have detailed information about the actual grandchild or family member who is supposedly in trouble. They often are able to convince the victims they are in fact their grandchild.

Brooks said there isn’t nearly as much advice on preventing fraud and scams as there are ways to be defrauded. However, aside from protecting one’s personal information, members of the public are encouraged to always carefully scrutinize unsolicited request of any kind before acting on them.

Additionally, Brooks said phone calls from supposed relatives or on the behalf of relatives asking for money always should be verified by contacting relatives or the Lake County Sheriff’s Office before sending any money.

Drakes Bay Oyster Co. files petition for U.S. Supreme Court review of case

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Drakes Bay Oyster Co. has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to review the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in its case.

At issue is former Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar’s denial of Drakes Bay’s permit to continue operating the 80-year-old oyster farm, even though the original deal for the creation of Point Reyes National Seashore – supported by the Park Service, the Sierra Club, the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, and every other interested environmental and civic group – was that the oyster farm was always supposed to stay.

The Ninth Circuit held that a federal court does not have jurisdiction to review a discretionary agency decision for abuse of discretion.

The company said that what is at stake is whether the government, in making countless everyday decisions, can be taken to court when it abuses its power.

“If this judgment is not overturned, government agencies will have the power to deny a permit to any individual or business for any reason, without judicial review,” said Kevin Lunny, owner of Drakes Bay Oyster Company. “Citizens must have recourse in the face of an arbitrary and capricious decision.”

The small, family-owned farm has been in a heated legal battle for several years with federal regulators for its survival.

Because Drakes Bay showed that there is a “reasonable probability” that the Supreme Court will take this case and a “significant possibility” that the oyster farm will win, the Ninth Circuit has allowed Drakes Bay to remain open while it takes its case to the Supreme Court.

One reason the Supreme Court might want to hear the case is to resolve 15 circuit splits on three issues – that is, issues on which two or more circuits in the U.S. court of appeals system have given different interpretations of federal law.

The splits in this case are on important issues: jurisdiction to review agency actions for abuse of discretion, applicability of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and prejudicial error under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Read the Petition for Writ of Certiorari here.

The historic oyster farm in Drakes Estero, located in Point Reyes, Marin County, has been part of the community for nearly 100 years.

The Lunnys, a fourth-generation Point Reyes ranching family, purchased the oyster farm in 2004.

The farm produces approximately one-third of all oysters grown in California, and employs 30 members of the community.

The Lunnys also contribute the oyster shells that make possible the restoration of native oysters in San Francisco Bay and the oyster shells used to create habitat for the endangered Snowy Plover and Least Tern. As the last oyster cannery in California, Drakes Bay is the only local (and thus the only safe and affordable) source of these shells.

For more information, please visit www.drakesbayoyster.com and www.savedrakesbay.com .