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Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office Awarded Grant to Investigate and Prosecute Workers’ Compensation Fraud
The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office was recently awarded a grant from the California Department of Insurance to be used for the investigation and prosecution of Workers’ Compensation Insurance fraud. The grant is for $339,173.00 for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year. Funding for the grant comes from California employers who are legally required to be insured or self-insured. Workers’ Compensation Fraud is investigated and prosecuted by the Environmental and Consumer Law Division of the District Attorney’s Office. Read full story
Sonoma County District Attorney Settles Civil Lawsuit Against Dietary Supplement Company Balance of Nature
District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that her office as part of the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device Task Force settled a consumer protection action against Evig, LLC doing business as Balance of Nature. The case was filed in Napa Superior Court by the District Attorney’s offices of Sonoma, Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Napa Orange, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, and Solano Counties, which together comprise the task force. Read full story
CSW Affirms the Sonoma County LGBTQIA+ Community
On July 13, 2023, the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women voted unanimously to affirm the Sonoma County LGBTQIA+ community in response to overt anti-LGBTQIA+ bias, transphobia, and homophobia have been present in Sonoma County. Read full story
Sonoma County District Attorney Announces Results of First Annual Report From PG&E Independent Monitor
Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez announced today that the Independent Monitor held its annual meeting yesterday, and released its First Annual Report, related to its oversight of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (“PG&E”). The Independent Monitor, Filsinger Energy Partners, was appointed last April to monitor PG&E’s compliance with various safety measures imposed upon the company by a Stipulated Judgment between the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office and PG&E, and ordered by Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick on April 8, 2022, related to the 2019 Kincade Fire. Read full story
Sonoma County Supervisors approve Local Coastal Plan
Sonoma County’s Local Coastal Plan, a foundational planning document that regulates land use and protects resources along the 55-mile shoreline, now heads to the California Coastal Commission after the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an updated version of the plan Monday. Read full story
Prescribed burning operations planned at Tolay Lake Regional Park
Sonoma County Regional Parks (SCRP), in partnership with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (Tribe) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, are planning to conduct a prescribed burn for Tolay Lake Regional Park on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Read full story
Former foster youth in Sonoma County to receive $148,000 in scholarships for higher education
More than three dozen former Sonoma County foster youth will be awarded a total of $148,000 in scholarships Thursday through a partnership between the Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation and the Sonoma County Human Services Department. Read full story
Sonoma Man Sentenced to 21 Years Prison in State Prison for Shooting at Deputy
Defendant Nathan James Smart, 44 years old of Sonoma, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mark Urioste to serve 21 years in state prison after pleading “no contest” last month to charges of assault with a firearm on a peace officer. Under the negotiated agreement, Smart also admitted sentencing enhancements for personal use of a firearm, and for a previous conviction of gross vehicular manslaughter dating back to 1999. Read full story
Insurance Broker Christopher Ramos Sentenced to Prison For Nine Years for Theft of Client Money
Defendant Christopher Ramos, a 45-year-old Insurance Broker from Santa Rosa, CA, was sentenced yesterday by the Honorable Karlene Navarro to 9 years in prison for stealing nearly $190,000 from clients. From around 2013 through 2016, Ramos operated CDR Insurance Agency. During this time, Ramos obtained money from clients for commercial and individual insurance policies. However, rather than applying the money towards the insurance policies the clients thought they were purchasing, Ramos stole the money and used it for his own for personal expenses. This left his victims without the insurance coverage they believed they had, and open to potential losses and liability. At the time of his crimes in Sonoma County, Ramos was already on probation in San Francisco County after being convicted for similar crimes there. Read full story
Yeti Coolers, LLC Settles Violations Related to Delayed Shipping in California
On July 11, 2023, Judge Brad DeMeo entered a Stipulated Judgement against Yeti Coolers LLC (“Yeti”) in the amount of $40,490 in Civil Case No SCV-273598. This Judgment settles allegations that Yeti misrepresented that customers would receive delivery of certain products by a specified date related to holiday promotions. The case was brought by the consumer protection units of the Sonoma, Napa, and Alameda County District Attorney’s Offices. Read full story