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- Written by: Lake County News reports
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LUCERNE, Calif. – A Lucerne man has been arrested after allegedly claiming that he contaminated food in the produce section at the Lakeport Safeway this week.
Roger Bart Gordon, 46, was arrested at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Lucerne for making malicious statements of mingling a harmful substance with food or drink, which is a felony, according to Capt. James Bauman of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At the time of his arrest, Gordon also was found to be in possession of a nonprescribed controlled substance, another felony charge. Bauman said Gordon was booked on both charges at the Lake County Jail, where he remained in custody with bail set at $10,000.
Specifically, Gordon had made statements that he had intentionally put fecal matter on produce items at the store, Bauman said.
The Lakeport Safeway closed its produce session temporarily after it received a report about Gordon's allegations, corporate spokesperson Susan Houghton told Lake County News on Wednesday.
She said the company took any threats seriously, and accordingly the section was shut down for part of Wednesday for cleaning and replacement of food products.
Bauman said that the issues that led to Gordon's arrest began on Tuesday morning, when sheriff's deputies responded to the Lucerne Community Clinic on Highway 20 where Gordon allegedly was creating a disturbance.
Deputies contacted Gordon at the scene and told him not to return to the clinic, but later that afternoon he returned anyway, which Bauman said resulted in the deputies going back to the clinic and transporting Gordon to Sutter Lakeside Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Bauman said the hospital subsequently discharged Gordon who, while at the hospital, told staff he was having irrational thoughts. Those thought included considering going to the Lakeport Safeway with feces on his hands and touching the produce.
Sheriff's deputies contacted the Lakeport Safeway management on Wednesday morning about Gordon. Bauman said that while the investigation didn't positively conclude that the produce had been contaminated, Safeway still purged and sanitized the produce section as a precaution.
The Sheriff’s Department reminded all consumers to be mindful of any food product that comes into contact with others. Fresh food products in particular, should always by thoroughly cleaned before consumption.
Bauman confirmed to Lake County News that the sheriff's office has had several previous contacts with Gordon.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Michelle Lynn Davis, 25, reached the plea agreement with the Lake County District Attorney's Office late last month, according to Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson.
On July 21 she made the plea, with Judge Stephen Hedstrom sentencing her to three years probation, 45 days in jail, 360 hours of work and community service, a restitution fine of $100 and an agreement to repay her former employer, Shannon Ranches Inc., $50,000 in restitution, Abelson said.
Davis' attorney, Kristine Burk of Sebastopol, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Davis was arrested in January 2008 and originally charged with felony embezzlement and a special allegation for having allegedly taken more than $150,000 from the Clearlake Oaks-based Shannon Ranches, a vineyard management company where she had worked for five years, as Lake County News has reported.
Clay Shannon, who owns Shannon Ranches along with wife Margarita, said Wednesday that the amount Davis took was more like $240,000.
Abelson said the case against Davis alleged that between March 14, 2006, and Dec. 14, 2007, Davis had taken funds from the company.
Davis allegedly was using a company-issued credit card for shopping, vacations for herself and her boyfriend to Disneyland as well as out-of-country trips, and had also issued herself extra checks, Abelson said.
Abelson, who is familiar with forensic accounting and handles many of the embezzlement cases prosecuted through the District Attorney's Office, said Davis was smart at hiding the funds she allegedly was taking.
Eventually, however, the fact that money was missing came to light. “When their bills weren't getting paid, that's when it kind of came to a head,” Abelson said.
Abelson said a trial had been under way in the spring. “I was almost done with my evidence, we just had one more witness,” she said.
But that last witness, Margarita Shannon, became ill and Abelson said a mistrial resulted.
A new trial was set to start July 20 but the Shannons and their attorney, Peter Windrem, asked that the case be pleaded out as a misdemeanor so they wouldn't have to participate in a trial, Abelson said. They also came to an agreement with Davis and her attorney on the $50,000 restitution.
Clay Shannon said he's glad the matter is over with and behind he and his family, but added that Davis “got off easy.”
He said he was upset that the case took so long to come to a close.
However, Shannon said, “Margarita and I just have too many great things going on” in their business and here in the county.
“Times are tough in this economy and we have no time to spend goofing around in trial,” he said.
Abelson said Judge Hedstrom wants Davis monitored, and has scheduled a hearing for Dec. 13 to determine her restitution payments and keep track of her situation.
The hearing was set at that time to give Davis the opportunity to serve her 45 days in jail. Abelson said Davis is eligible to sign up for electronic home monitoring.
If Davis doesn't repay all of her restitution during her probation period, Abelson said a civil judgment can be issued for what's still owed.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
ROBINSON RANCHERIA, Calif. – An agreement to allow Robinson Rancheria's federally commissioned law enforcement officers to direct file cases with the Lake County District Attorney's Office has been finalized.
On Aug. 12, District Attorney Jon Hopkins approved an intergovernmental agreement between the Lake County District Attorney’s Office and the Robinson Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians that Robinson Rancheria Police Chief Dave Mendoza said was nearly a year in the making.
The agreement will allow the District Attorney's Office to prosecute suspects based on the investigations submitted and testimony of the Robinson Rancheria’s federally commissioned law enforcement officers, Mendoza said.
“This is a very significant step forward for law enforcement, not only on the Robinson Rancheria, but throughout Lake County,” said Mendoza.
It's the first agreement of its kind in Lake County, he said.
“As a result of this agreement, those who are arrested by federally commissioned police officers for breaking the law on the reservation will be prosecuted the same way as any other offender in Lake County and the victims of those crimes will be provided the same representation,” Mendoza added.
Mendoza told Lake County News in an interview earlier this month that Robinson Rancheria's officers were issued special law enforcement commissions by the secretary of the Department of the Interior in April 2009, one of only eight such agencies in California.
That makes them federal law enforcement officials who Mendoza said retain their federal status both on and off of the reservation. They can therefore enforce federal law and, in some cases, state law.
Mendoza said the agreement will allow Robinson Rancheria's federally commissioned police officers to submit their investigations directly with the District Attorney’s Office, which will handle the police reports in the same manner as reports filed by the other law enforcement agencies in Lake County.
If the District Attorney decides to prosecute the suspect, the Robinson Rancheria’s federal law enforcement officers will be available to testify in the cases, Mendoza said.
Hopkins said the agreement was the “next logical step” in the work he's been doing with Lake County tribal communities since being elected district attorney in 2006.
“It is important to have tribal members trust the resources outside their community and to work together to make sure all victims of crime are protected and benefit from a stronger public safety effort,” he said. “All law enforcement should be able to be focused on keeping people and property safe.”
By agreeing to prosecute meritorious cases filed by the Robinson’s federal police officers for crimes committed on the Robinson Rancheria, Hopkins said, “We have effectively expanded the number of police officers protecting the people of Lake County. That’s good for everyone.”
Mendoza said the new arrangement with the Lake County District Attorney’s Office falls right in line with the recent agreement made with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, where Federal Magistrate Nandor J. Vadas holds federal court on the Hopland Reservation for the five federal agencies who work in Lake and Mendocino County.
That arrangement was accomplished by working mutually with Hopland Chief of Police Brett Rhodes and is supported by the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshal’s Office, according to Mendoza.
Hopland Rancheria's officers also are federally commissioned, according to Rhodes, whose agency holds a similar direct filing agreement with the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office.
Mendoza complimented Hopkins for working with the Robinson Rancheria on its law enforcement program.
“We have had the full support of Mr. Hopkins and his staff from day one and his input and direction has played a vital role in the success and development of the Robinson Rancheria’s Police Department,” said Mendoza, adding that Hopkins' work was “foreword thinking and timely.”
Mendoza said the agreement forecasts the future goals and policies being set by the federal government with the passage last month of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010.
In the current difficult economic times it is important to build upon the community's resources in order to continue to provide quality public safety services to the citizens of Lake County,” he said.
Hopkins' approval of the agreement has added another valuable law enforcement agency to the community, said Chief Mendoza.
With Robinson's federal law enforcement officers now able to conduct their investigations, arrest criminals and submit their cases directly to the prosecuting agency of the county, “That makes people on and off the reservation more secure,” Mendoza said.
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