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Category Archives: Crime

The Irvine police arrested a couple who had a stolen gun and drugs

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On Friday night, an Irvine Police Department officer was patrolling the parking lot of an Irvine business and observed a suspicious vehicle.

As the officer got closer, an adult male exited the vehicle and ran. A female remained in the vehicle and was ultimately arrested for drug related offenses.

In addition to finding narcotics in the vehicle, the officer located a handgun that was determined to be left behind by the male.

Officers searched the area and located the male a short distance away. He was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

After conducting follow up, the officer determined the handgun had been stolen from a vehicle in the City of Tustin an hour prior.

Three O.C. YouTube stars and two other drivers busted after illegal street races and charged with felonies

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Three YouTube stars and two other drivers have been charged with multiple felonies for conspiring to engage in illegal street races across Orange County, including races that reached speeds in excess of 160 miles per hour. Irvine police arrested the five men on Tuesday following a six-month long investigation into street racing on the 241 and the 261 Toll Roads beginning last January.

Rushdan Mohammad Abdallah, 26, of Lake Forest, has been charged with six felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, six misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, six misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, and four infractions for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Abdallah is accused of being out on bail on charges he evaded police during a pursuit and resisted a police officer in November 2019 when he continued to coordinate with other street racers to set up illegal races across Orange County last year.

Abdallah posted street racing videos to his YouTube channel that has hundreds of thousands of followers with the videos regularly attracting millions of views. Videos on his channel also show him soliciting viewers to provide him with other street racing competitors.

He has been released on $20,000 bail. Abdallah faces a maximum sentence of 8 years and 8 months in state prison plus 540 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Two of Abdallah’s vehicles have been impounded and he has been ordered by a judge not to drive.

Aaron Hamed Waseeq, 25, of La Verne, is charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting a speed contest, and one infraction for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Waseeq has been released on $20,000 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months in state prison plus 270 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges. Waseeq’s vehicle has been impounded.

Daniel Joaquin Rodriguez, 21, of La Verne, has been charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, one misdemeanor count of aiding and abetting a speed contest, and one infraction for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Rodriguez was released on $0 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months in state prison plus 270 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges. Rodriquez’ vehicle has been impounded.

Rodriguez and Waseeq also have YouTube channels that feature their illegal street races in Orange County.

Sean Lozai Stuart, 36, of Irvine, has been charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, one misdemeanor count of engaging in a speed contest, one misdemeanor count of reckless driving, and one infraction for speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour.

Stuart was released on $0 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years in state prison plus 180 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

Saeid Assim Lachin, 27, of Fullerton, has been charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of engaging in a speed contest, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving, and two misdemeanor counts of driving on a suspended license.

Lachin was released on $0 bail. He faces a maximum sentence of 3 years and 8 months in state prison plus 450 days in the Orange County Jail if convicted on all charges.

“Orange County roads are not raceways designed to accommodate illegal street races of speeds reaching 160 miles per hour,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Street racing is irresponsible, it’s dangerous, and it shows a complete disregard for the lives of everyone involved including the participants, the spectators, and the innocent bystanders. No one driving on our roads should suddenly find themselves in the middle of what equates to a NASCAR race being raced by amateurs who are not trained or skilled enough to drive vehicles being pushed to their mechanical limits. These crimes will be prosecuted and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Street racing is a serious offense that impacts the Irvine community,” said Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel. “We will continue to work in partnership with allied agencies, including the District Attorney’s office, to arrest and prosecute individuals who elect to engage in these reckless actions that endanger lives.”

The District Attorney’s Office and the Irvine Police Department participate in Strategic Traffic Enforcement Against Racing & Reckless Driving (STEARRD), a countywide law enforcement partnership to crack down on illegal street racing and street takeovers.

On January 31, 2020 Abdallah and Stuart are accused of meeting to discuss an illegal street race and then racing each other multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads through Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, and Foothill Ranch. Speeds in that race reached 160 mph.

On March 25, 2020, Abdallah and Waseeq are accused of meeting to discuss and illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads. Rodriguez was the passenger in Waseeq’s vehicle and is accused of aiding and abetting the race.

On March 28, 2020 Abdallah and Lachin are accused of meeting to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 261 Toll Road.

On April 1, 2020 Abdallah, Rodriguez, Waseeq, and Lachin are accused of meeting to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads.

On May 27, 2020 Abdallah is accused of meeting with another unidentified driver to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 241 and 261 Toll Roads.

On May 30, 2020 Abdallah is accused of meeting with Rodriguez to discuss an illegal street race and then racing multiple times on the 261 Toll Road. Waseeq was the passenger of Rodriguez’ car and is accused of aiding and abetting the race.

Irvine package thief arrested with help from a witness

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On Thursday, at approximately 10:15 a.m., a witness observed a suspicious male in the act of stealing a delivered package in the area of Bosque and Magnet.

The witness called the Irvine Police Department and provided a description of the suspect and the vehicle he was driving.

IPD police officers located the vehicle and detained the suspect. Multiple stolen packages were recovered and the suspect was arrested for theft.

Thank you to the witness in this case for calling IPD when he observed criminal activity.

As a reminder, please call the Irvine Police Department anytime you witness suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood. You can reach the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7000, or call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency.

Also, please remember to track your packages and bring them inside as soon as possible after they are delivered. Unattended packages are an easy target for opportunistic thieves.

Man charged with kidnapping an Irvine woman may get released from the OC Jail

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – A man charged with aggravated kidnapping for ransom and extortion in connection with kidnapping an Irvine woman and holding her for ransom is the first Orange County inmate to petition to be released on his own recognizance following a judge’s order Friday that ordered the Orange County Jail’s population be reduced by half.

The inmate faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Ezra Schley, 72, of Huntington Beach, is charged with one felony count of aggravated kidnapping for ransom and extortion, one felony count of residential burglary, one felony count of attempted extortion, and one misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm in public.

Schley is one of four defendants charged in connection with kidnapping Jane Doe from her Irvine apartment and holding her for two days in an attempt to extort a large sum of money from Jane Doe’s husband and mother-in-law. The four defendants are also accused of sending pictures of Jane Doe being held captive to Jane Doe’s husband through a phone web chatting app.

Schley is currently being held at the Orange County Jail on $1 million bail. His petition to be released on his own recognizance is scheduled to be in Department H1 at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach at 9 a.m. on December 23, 2020.

Jane Doe was rescued by the Irvine Police Department after her mother-in-law contacted police and requested a welfare check.

On Friday, an Orange County Superior Court judge issued a ruling in Campbell et. all v. Barnes which ordered Sheriff Don Barnes to reduce the population of the Orange County Jail by 50% due to inmate safety concerns over an increase in the number of inmates contracting COVID-19.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Department, the Public Defender, the Criminal Defense Bar, the County’s Health Care Agency, and the Orange County Superior Court, has worked collaboratively throughout the pandemic to conduct risk assessments in order to release medically vulnerable inmates prior to completing their entire sentence.

The District Attorney’s Office has been keeping statistics in order to understand the impact of these court orders. Orange County inmates released early before serving their full sentence or on $0 bail went out and committed new crimes at rates at nearly triple normal recidivism rates: 44% for early release inmates and 38% for $0 bail defendants.

A sample of their crimes: auto theft, burglary, robbery, assault, weapons, theft and narcotics.

As well as a 23-year-old man who stabbed his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend four times, killing her. He had been released on $0 bail 3 ½ weeks earlier. 

“The jail population has been reduced by more than 33 percent since the beginning of the pandemic in March,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “There are more than 400 people in custody who have already been convicted or who are awaiting trial for murder or attempted murder. Now the ACLU is fighting to release people who have been convicted or are awaiting trial on felony charges that could send them to prison for the rest of their lives. These are hardcore criminals who are going to try everything they can to game the system so they can get out and commit more crimes. The judge’s order is outrageous and I’m not going to allow Orange County and Southern California residents to be put at risk by the release of dangerous and violent criminals back into our communities.”

O.C. insurance agents arrested in $4 million securities fraud scheme

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ORANGE, Calif. — Robert Andrew Lotter, 63, of Newport Beach, and Charles Albert Major, 72, of Irvine, were arrested today on multiple felony counts of securities violations and burglary after allegedly defrauding more than 20 victims of over $4 million.

An investigation by the California Department of Insurance alleges that between 2003 and 2018, Lotter and Major fraudulently solicited and sold victims more than $4 million in stock certificates in Lotter’s companies, eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc.

Lotter owns an insurance agency, R.A. Lotter Insurance Marketing, Inc., and Major is a licensed insurance agent. Lotter and Major contacted clients of R.A. Lotter Insurance Marketing and used various schemes to fraudulently obtain victims’ private financial information in order to identify potential investors for Lotter’s high-risk investments.

Lotter’s insurance agency led several victims to believe the agency was authorized or affiliated with the California State Teacher’s Retirement System (CalSTRS) that provides retirement pension advice to California public school educators. Some victims did not discover it was not authorized or affiliated with CalSTRS until after they had invested substantial funds in eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc.

“Even though these insurance agents had a fiduciary responsibility to represent their clients’ best interest, they allegedly put greed above their clients’ needs,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “Their arrest shows the Department of Insurance will persist in investigating and stopping insurance professionals who put their clients at financial risk.”

Between 2003 and 2018, Lotter and Major continued to lure victims with assurances that profits from eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc. were “just around the corner.” They claimed to have partnerships with large internet companies and prominent mobile carriers. They showed clients newspaper articles and televised interviews featuring Lotter to cement victims’ confidence in their investments and mitigate concerns victims had about their investments and the continued delays of their investment returns.

Lotter’s companies, eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc., had poor financial statuses including unpaid financial obligations to prior investors. Lotter and Major did not make their clients aware of the poor financial statuses of the companies and they did not notify victims when the alleged lucrative partnerships fell through. Victims were led to believe their investments in eAgency, Inc. and Mymobilewatchdog, Inc. were still viable.

Lotter and Major were booked into Orange County Jail. Bail was set at $4 million for Lotter and $2 million for Major. This case is being prosecuted by the Major Fraud Unit of the Orange County District Attorney’s office. The Department is also taking the appropriate administrative action against the licensees and the various insurance agencies they managed.

The Irvine Police arrested two suspects after they stole a bait bike

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Due to an increase in bicycle thefts, Irvine PD officers have been placing “bait” bikes, equipped with a GPS locator, in different locations throughout the City of Irvine.

At 8:49 a.m. on Saturday morning, the GPS tracker on one of the bait bikes was activated in the area of Barranca Parkway and Paseo Westpark. IPD Dispatch coordinated with officers to provide the updated location of the stolen bicycle.

An adult male and female were contacted in the area driving a Ford Fusion and the stolen bicycle was recovered from the back of the vehicle.

The suspects were arrested and booked at Orange County Jail for grand theft.

As a reminder, please help the Irvine Police Department to combat bicycle theft by registering your bicycle here.

Former financial advisor from Irvine heading to prison after scamming pro athletes

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SANTA ANA, California – A former Orange County financial advisor and lawyer was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for stealing millions of dollars of his pro athlete clients’ money and investing it in a cash-losing ticket company on which he was a board member.

Ash Narayan, 55, of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to pay $18,811,231 in restitution. Narayan pleaded guilty in June 2019 to a two-count information charging him with wire fraud and subscribing to a false tax return.

Narayan worked as an investment advisor at RGT Capital Management Ltd.’s Irvine office and also was a licensed California lawyer until his disbarment earlier this year. At RGT, Narayan’s clients were high-net-worth individuals who were current and former professional athletes.

In addition to his job at RGT, Narayan served on the board of directors for The Ticket Reserve Inc. (TTR), an Illinois-based technology company that allowed customers to buy an option on a ticket to future sporting events, such as playoff games, which they could cash in if their team made the postseason. TTR never was profitable and carried millions of dollars in debt.

From December 2009 to early 2016, Narayan advised his clients to invest in TTR, but failed to disclose to them his role in the company as well as the fact that it was a high-risk investment and an unprofitable business. At times, Narayan directed RGT employees to forge his clients’ signatures on wire authorizations to direct significant amounts of his clients’ money into TTR without their knowledge or consent.

Narayan left RGT in 2016 and The Ticket Reserve was put into receivership later that year.

Narayan also knowingly subscribed to a materially false federal income tax return when he reported that his total income for 2012 was $543,072, when in truth it was $1,138,072.

In a related case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission in federal court in Dallas, Narayan was ordered to repay $1,498,000 in ill-gotten gains as well as a $350,000 civil penalty.

This matter was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office.

Irvine man sentenced to 26 years to life for killing his wife’s lover

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – An Irvine man was sentenced today to the maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison for the first degree murder of his estranged wife’s lover.  The defendant was also convicted of stabbing the victim’s female friend before fleeing the crime scene.

Hongli Sun, 43, of Irvine, was convicted on October 1, 2020 of one felony count of first-degree murder with a felony enhancement for using a deadly weapon, and one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon with a felony enhancement of inflicting great bodily injury. 

On July 18, 2015, Sun drove to Dr. Xuan Liu’s dental office on Barranca Parkway in Irvine and sat in his Mercedes waiting for Liu to return.  Sun discovered months before that Liu was having an affair with Sun’s wife.

Sun intentionally drove into Liu in the parking lot and then stabbed Liu multiple times.  The 54-year-old dentist died at the scene. Sun also stabbed a women who attempted to intervene in the attack.

“The cold, calculated choice to murder another human being deserves the harshest punishment,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Violence is never the answer, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Mark Birney of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.  

Man arrested for auto theft and multiple burglaries in Irvine and Fountain valley

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On 10-14-20 at 11:50 p.m., Irvine PD investigated the theft of a white 2017 Toyota Camry from the area of Culver and the I-405.

Fountain Valley Police Department (FVPD) Officers investigated a theft from a vehicle and an interrupted residential burglary on the 11000 block of Mayflower Avenue in the City of Fountain Valley. Prior to Officers arriving on scene, the suspect fled in the above-referenced vehicle that was stolen in Irvine.

The Santa Ana Police Department arrested a 25 year old resident of Santa Ana, Miguel Angel Yerena, for PC 459-Residential Burglary, PC 69-Obstructing Arrest, HS 11375(b)(1)-Possession of Narcotics for Sales, and PC 242-Assault and the SAPD booked him into Orange County Jail.

Yerena is on active Orange County Formal Probation. He was released on bond from Orange County Jail on 10-21-20 at 7:48 p.m.

On 10-21-20 at 11:41 p.m., FVPD Officers investigated an interrupted residential burglary at the 16000 block of San Jacinto Street in the City of Fountain Valley.

On 10-22-20 at 12:12 a.m., FVPD Officers investigated a second interrupted residential burglary on the 11000 block of Mayflower Avenue in the City of Fountain Valley.

Yerena exited the victim’s house with stolen property and was arrested without incident. The above-referenced stolen vehicle was located and a search of it revealed additional stolen property which connected Yerena to these crimes.

Yerena was booked into Orange County Jail on 10-22-20 at 7:30 a.m.

Burglaries of occupied dwellings, such as these, are especially dangerous. FVPD is thankful to the victim’s for immediately reporting these crimes to 9-1-1 and relaying pertinent information to Dispatchers.

FVPD Nightshift Officers were on scene approximately 3 minutes after being dispatched. Not only was this recidivist offender captured without incident, but Officers completed a thorough investigation which lead to the District Attorney’s Office filing numerous felony charges.

At the time of this post, Yerena remains in Orange County Jail where he is being held without bail.

Irvine YouTube twin pranksters arrested after two fake bank robberies

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – Twin brothers who star in YouTube videos featuring pranks on unsuspecting people have been charged with false imprisonment and swatting in connection with a pair of fake bank robberies in Irvine that resulted in their Uber driver being held at gunpoint by police. The Uber driver was not involved in the prank.

Alan and Alex Stokes, 23 of Irvine, have been each charged with one felony count of false imprisonment effected by violence, menace, fraud, or deceit and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting an emergency in connection with the October 15, 2019 pranks.

They each face a maximum sentence of four years in state prison if convicted on all counts.

On October 15, 2019, at about 2:30 p.m., the Stokes brothers are accused of being dressed all in black, wearing ski masks, and carrying duffle bags full of cash as they pretended they had just robbed a bank while their videographer filmed this.

They ordered an Uber and when they got in the vehicle the Uber driver, who was unaware of the prank, refused to drive them. A bystander witnessed this, believing the two men had just robbed a bank and were attempting to carjack the Uber driver.

Irvine police arrived and ordered the Uber driver out at gunpoint. He was released after police determined he was not involved.

Police issued a warning to the Stokes brothers about the dangerous of their conduct and let them go.

Four hours later the Stokes brothers performed the same kind of prank on the campus of the University of California, Irvine. Police again received emergency calls regarding a bank being robbed.

“These were not pranks,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “These are crimes that could have resulted in someone getting seriously injured or even killed. Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the public and when someone calls 911 to report an active bank robbery they are going to respond to protect lives. Instead, what they found was some kind of twisted attempt to gain more popularity on the internet by unnecessarily putting members of the public and police officers in danger.”

Deputy District Attorney Laila Nikaien of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.