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'Did You Know...?'
Issue 1, 2016
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Welcome to the first installment of our 'Did You Know...?' newsletter for 2016.
It's been a busy start to the year with numerous verdicts, anti-trafficking trainings, and plenty more happening around the courthouses.
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In this issue:
- HEAT Unit honors January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month
- DA's Office settles consumer protection action concerning excessive amounts of lead in Ginger Snap cookies
- Raising awareness of human trafficking ahead of Super Bowl 50
- Guilty verdict in human trafficking case
- Felony verdicts
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Human Trafficking Awareness Month
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DA Nancy E. O'Malley, members of the HEAT Unit, and Sarai from non-profit SHADE, received the Proclamation honoring January as Human trafficking Awareness Month, from Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan.
January was Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and our staff participated in many different events over the course of the month to raise community awareness of the issue of trafficking in our communities.
Representatives from the H.E.A.T. Unit focused on training and awareness. In conjunction with the California Attorney General’s Office, we sponsored a training for law enforcement with the non-profit group Truckers Against Trafficking at the Port of Oakland. We also hosted a large training for those who work in the hospitality industry on how to identify and report instances of suspected human trafficking.
Read more about the other events Human Trafficking Awareness Month...
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DA’s Office Settles Consumer Protection Action:
Excessive Amounts of Lead in Ginger Snap Cookies
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On January 22, 2016, DA O’Malley announced that her office, in conjunction with
multiple other agencies, settled a case against Mondelēz International, Inc (formerly Kraft Foods). The complaint alleged Mondelēz marketed and sold Nabisco Ginger Snap cookies that contained lead in amounts that exceeded the warning limits for lead exposure in California.
In the settlement, Mondelēz agreed to strict testing protocols that limit lead in its ginger snap cookies to no more than 30 parts per billion per serving. In addition to paying over $750,000 in total civil penalties, costs and fees, the company has also agreed to fund ongoing independent auditing of its products and to monitor supply chains to ensure raw materials are within acceptable limits for lead.
“Proposition 65 warnings provide vital information to every consumer, especially parents purchasing food for their families,” states DA O’Malley. “My Office is dedicated to ensuring that every manufacturer complies with this important California law and that the citizens of this county and the State of California are informed about potentially unsafe substances in the food they consume.”
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Raising Awareness of Human Trafficking Ahead of Super Bowl 50
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On January 27, 2016, DA O'Malley joined three other Bay Area District Attorneys to raise awareness of Human Trafficking ahead of Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara. DA O'Malley united with DA Gascon (San Francisco), DA Wagstaffe (San Mateo) and DA Rosen (Santa Clara) at a press event at San Francisco International Airport.
“While we turn our attention to this issue during a large event such as the Super Bowl, we cannot be blind to the fact that human trafficking occurs in our community every single day,” said DA Nancy O’Malley.
“Human trafficking is the largest growing criminal enterprise in the nation and the Bay Area is a known hotspot. It is vital for each of us to understand the issue of human trafficking -- both sex and labor trafficking – and how we can all be a part of the solution.” Read more about the event
To find out more about human trafficking and how you can help combat human exploitation in your community, please visit our
HEAT Watch website.
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Felony Conviction in Immigration Fraud Scam
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DA Nancy E. O’Malley today announced the felony grand theft conviction of Defendant Vosgan Mekhitarian in an immigration fraud case.On January 28, 2016, Defendant Vosgan Mekhitarian pled no contest to felony grand theft after paying the full amount of restitution (over $50,000) to his victims. Read more about the case...
“My Office is dedicated to protecting our citizens from scams and fraud such as that committed by Mr Mekhitarian,” said DA O’Malley. “He preyed upon vulnerable individuals hoping to become US citizens. We are grateful to the couragous individual who reported this scam to the authorities, and extremely pleased that we were able to secure full restitution to all those he victimized.”
The case was prosecuted by DDA Brian Owens with assistance from DA Inspector Eddie Bermudez.
If you have been the victim of immigration fraud or a scam that sounds similar to this, please contact DA Inspector Bermudez in our Consumer Protection Division on (510) 383 - 8600.
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Conviction in Human Trafficking Case
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On January 21, 2016, a jury found Defendant
Samuel Asa Wynn and Defendant
Lewis Asa Wynn guilty of kidnapping and human trafficking.
On July 10, 2015, Jane Doe was in the area of 18th and International Boulevard in Oakland when Defendants Samuel Wynn and Lewis Wynn approached her. The two defendants asked her "Where's your pimp at?", and told her they needed "new girls" to work for them. Jane Doe refused both men, and they left. A few minutes later, Defendants Samuel Wynn and Lewis Wynn pulled up to Ms Doe in their vehicle, and Defendant Samuel Wynn grabbed Ms Doe. A neighbor heard Ms Doe screaming and called 911 to report the kidnapping. Read more...
Defendants Samuel and Lewis Wynn are scheduled to be sentenced later in 2016. The case was prosecuted by DDA Allyson Donovan, with assistance from DA Inspectors Gino Guerrero and Tim Bergquist, and help from Victim-Witness Advocates Dena Aindow and Lily Bueno.
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Support for Wage Theft Initative
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On January 26, 2016, DA Nancy O'Malley joined local labor leaders, unions, government agencies and elected officials this week in support of a new statewide campaign designed to fight wage theft, particularly in the construction industry.
"One of the most fundamental rights is to be paid the wages that you earn," DA O'Malley said. Read more...
If you think you have been the victim of wage theft or unsafe business practices, please call our Worker Protection unit on (510) 383-8600. To find out more about Stop Wage Theft CA, please visit their website.
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People v Samuel E. Archuleta
On January 21, 2016, a jury found Defendant
Samuel E. Archuleta guilty of rape by force.
Read more...
Defendant Samuel E. Archuleta is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2016. The case was prosecuted by DDA Lauren Hashimoto with assistance from DA Inspector James Rullamas and Victim-Witness Advocate Lily Bueno.
People v Alpacino McDaniels
On January 21, 2016, a jury found Defendant
Alpacino McDaniels guilty as charged of first degree murder
with the use of a firearm and of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Read more...
The case was prosecuted by DDA Patrick Moriarty with assistance from DA Inspector Tom Milner and Victim-Witness Advocate Yuen Chiang.
People v Ivin Capone Prince
On January 28, 2016, a jury found Defendant
Ivin Capone Prince guilty of first degree residential burglary.
Read more....
Defendant Ivin Prince has two felony convictions from 2012 and 2013 for cases involving robbery and domestic violence, respectively. He faces a prison sentence of six years when he is sentenced on February 29, 2016.
The case was prosecuted by DDA Matt Gaidos.
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A detailed description of all recent Felony verdicts can be found at our website.
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Do you have a question for the District Attorney?
If you would like to see a particular question answered in our next newsletter, please email us at
info@alcoda.org.
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HEAT Watch is the anti-human trafficking program run by the DA's Office. It coordinates the response to help fight trafficking in the Bay Area and beyond.
Point of View
The well-known legal educational tool written and published by the DA's Office.
Find out when the next court date is for a particular case. Available 24/7.
Find out the custody status of a person of interest. Available 24/7.
We provide speakers for your next school or community meeting who come to you with decades of expertise about the law, the criminal justice system and how we at the DA's Office can help you if you have been the victim of a crime.
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