NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org
Orange County Sheriff’s Department Announces Results of DUI Court Sting Operation
SANTA ANA, Calif. (June 1, 2015) – On Monday, June 1, 2015, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted an undercover ‘Court Sting’ operation at Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach targeting suspected DUI drivers whose licenses where suspended/revoked and drivers who were driving without a license.
Deputies staked out offenders who had been told of their license suspension or who had never been issued a driver license. Fifteen offenders were followed by deputies from courtrooms to their vehicles to ensure that they were not driving. While some offenders complied with the law and had other means of transportation, eight individuals in court proceeded to get behind the wheel and drove away from the court house.
Those who chose to drive were stopped near the courthouse by waiting deputies. Among those stopped for driving while their license was suspended or driving without a license were: Sean JonPaul Foster (08-04-86), Troy Ellis Holland (02-23-67), Chienfeng Liao (09-23-90), Sergio Alfredo Oseguerameza (10-22-89), Edgar Alexander Rascon (10-06-83), Isaias DeJesus Sorto (07-05-72), Sydney Brianna Vanderham (05-04-96). One driver was unable to be stopped because all the deputies involved in the operation were with other violators.
Six of the offenders received a misdemeanor traffic citation and had their vehicles towed by the deputies who stopped them. One of the drivers had an out-of-state license and was unaware his license status had been suspended in California. The driver who was unable to be stopped outside of the courthouse will face possible charges from the Orange County District Attorney in the future.
Those arrested today could face additional jail time and longer driver license suspensions, along with other financial consequences including attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of a job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.
Court Sting stakeout operations, along with regularly scheduled high-visibility DUI enforcement, serve as a proven deterrent with the goal of keeping impaired drivers off the road and heightening awareness among the public of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
This special DUI operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please help the Orange County Sheriff’s Department every day of the week: Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1!
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