California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced charges against three individuals allegedly involved in 13 vehicle thefts or attempted thefts across California. The incidents, which occurred between July 2023 and March 2024, involved a conspiracy to steal high-performance vehicles from the counties of El Dorado, Kings, Monterey, Riverside, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Tulare. The Department of Justice's Special Prosecutions Section filed the charges following an investigation and arrests conducted by the Visalia Police Department.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the sentencing of a Southern California dentist and two employees for a fraudulent billing scheme that defrauded the state Medi-Cal program of nearly $800,000. Dr. Magaly Mercedes Velasquez and her spouse, Maria Jose Talavera, who served as an office manager, were sentenced by the Riverside County Superior Court to 364 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution amounting to $770,238 to Medi-Cal. Jessica Monique Perez, the billing manager, will be placed on probation for two years. The prosecution was conducted by the California...
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), released a report today on Che Noe Zuniga Jr.’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Bakersfield, California, on August 7, 2021. The incident involved officers from the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD). The report is part of the California Department of Justice's (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. It provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ's findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded...
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined 17 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, advocating for the rights of transgender students in the case of Bridge v. Oklahoma State Department of Education. This legal action challenges Oklahoma’s Senate Bill 615 (SB 615), which prohibits transgender students from using sex-separated school facilities that align with their gender identity. The Western District of Oklahoma previously dismissed the case, prompting an appeal to the Tenth Circuit by three transgender students.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating and will independently review an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred on July 10, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. The incident, which resulted in the death of one individual, took place around 2:45 p.m. and involved the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in collaboration with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, announced the arrest and charges against a Temecula optometrist. The suspect allegedly traveled to San Diego County to meet a 14-year-old boy for sexual contact and is charged with contacting a minor for lewd purposes. The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Consumer Affairs on behalf of the California Board of Optometry, while the California Department of Justice’s Cybercrime Section will prosecute the case.
On July 15, 2024, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating and will independently review an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred on July 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. The incident resulted in the death of one individual and took place around 10:24 p.m., involving the Los Angeles Police Department.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has led 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the case of Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America v. Stolfi, advocating for laws that enhance drug price transparency. The brief, submitted to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, supports Oregon's House Bill 4005, which mandates pharmaceutical manufacturers to disclose specific information about new prescription drugs and historical pricing data for existing medications. This bill is comparable to California's Senate Bill 17 enacted in 2017.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with a coalition of 18 attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief supporting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Discriminatory Effects Rule. This rule was adopted by HUD to enforce the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), which seeks to eliminate racial and other forms of prohibited discrimination in housing and related services. The insurance industry is currently challenging the Discriminatory Effects Rule, which holds insurers and other parties accountable for housing practices that may seem neutral but...
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $50 million settlement with gas trading firms Vitol, Inc. (Vitol) and SK Energy Americas, Inc., along with its parent company SK Trading International (SK). The settlement addresses allegations that the companies colluded to manipulate spot market prices for California gasoline. This action is part of Attorney General Bonta's broader initiative to hold Big Oil accountable for unlawful price increases and anticompetitive behavior.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a consumer alert to share resources and raise awareness about free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services available following Change Healthcare’s February data breach. In April, Attorney General Bonta joined 22 attorneys general in sending a letter to UnitedHealth Group, Inc., the parent company of Change Healthcare, urging the corporation to take more meaningful action to protect those affected by the breach.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), today released a report on John Alaniz’s death from an officer-involved shooting in Paramount, California, on May 4, 2022. The incident involved officers from the California Highway Patrol. The report is part of the California Department of Justice's (DOJ) ongoing efforts to provide transparency and accountability in law enforcement practices. The report provides a detailed analysis of the incident and outlines DOJ's findings. After a thorough investigation, DOJ concluded that criminal charges...
In recognition of Military Consumer Month, Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a consumer alert aimed at protecting California service members, veterans, and their families from common scams and fraud. According to the Federal Trade Commission, military consumers nationwide reported over 93,700 fraud complaints last year, including 42,766 imposter scams that reportedly cost them and their families over $178 million.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ), pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), is investigating and will independently review an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred on July 4, 2024, in Hemet, California. The incident, which resulted in the death of one individual, took place around 1:30 a.m. and involved the Hemet Police Department.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a consumer alert following Governor Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency for Butte County due to the Thompson Fire. The fire has burned 3,002 acres and led to the evacuation of thousands of residents. Attorney General Bonta reminded Californians that price gouging during a state of emergency is illegal under Penal Code Section 396. Residents who believe they have been victims of price gouging should report it to local authorities or the Attorney General at oag.ca.gov/report.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general urging the United States Supreme Court to overturn a decision from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court had ruled that a regulation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) concerning ghost guns is inconsistent with federal law.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a cooperative settlement agreement with The Regents of the University of California (The Regents) and UCSF Health regarding their acquisition of Dignity Health's two San Francisco hospitals, St. Mary’s Medical Center (SMMC) and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital (SFMH). The agreement aims to ensure health equity and maintain competition in the healthcare market.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a multistate coalition urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to delay immigration enforcement action for workers participating in labor violation investigations. Currently, workers can apply to DHS for deferred action for two years if they are victims of, or witnesses to, alleged workplace violations being investigated or prosecuted by the government.
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $2.5 million multi-party settlement with AB&I Foundry, which manufactured cast-iron and metal pipe fittings in East Oakland. The settlement resolves two consolidated Proposition 65 lawsuits filed against AB&I and its parent company, McWane, Inc., by the environmental justice organization Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) and the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Environmental Justice. Both lawsuits alleged that AB&I unlawfully emitted hexavalent chromium into the air without providing clear and...
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the release of several annual criminal justice statistical reports for 2023. The reports, which include Homicide in California, Crime in California, Use of Force Incident Reporting, Juvenile Justice in California, and Crime Guns in California, provide comprehensive data submitted by law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice entities across the state.
