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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Operation Cross Country, a three-day nationwide enforcement action focusing on underage victims of prostitution, has concluded with the recovery of 105 sexually exploited children and the arrests of 159 pimps and other individuals on state and federal charges.
The sweep took place in 76 cities across 47 FBI divisions and was carried out by the FBI in partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as part of the Bureau’s Innocence Lost National Initiative.
It is the seventh and largest such enforcement action to date, the FBI reported.
In California, 21 children were rescued and 28 pimps were arrested, according to the FBI.
San Francisco had the largest number of children recovered, 12, across the nation, and tied with Atlanta for having the largest number of arrested pimps, 17.
In addition, Sacramento had two children rescued and two arrests; San Diego had five recoveries and six arrests; and Los Angeles has two rescues and three arrests, the FBI said.
“Child prostitution remains a persistent threat to children across America,” said Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This operation serves as a reminder that these abhorrent crimes can happen anywhere, and the FBI remains committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and holding the criminals who profit from this exploitation accountable.”
Operation Cross Country is part of the Innocence Lost National Initiative that was established in 2003 by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, in partnership with the Department of Justice and NCMEC, to address the growing problem of child prostitution.
“Operation Cross Country demonstrates just how many of America’s children are being sold for sex every day, many on the Internet,” said John Ryan, CEO of NCMEC. “We’re honored and proud to partner with the FBI, which has taken the lead in tackling this escalating problem.”
To date, the FBI and its task force partners have recovered more than 2,700 children from the streets. The investigations and subsequent 1,350 convictions have resulted in lengthy sentences, including 10 life terms and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in assets.
Task force operations usually begin as local enforcement actions that target truck stops, casinos, street “tracks,” and Web sites that advertise dating or escort services, based on intelligence gathered by officers working in their respective jurisdictions. Initial arrests are often violations of local and state laws relating to prostitution or solicitation.
Information gleaned from those arrested frequently uncovers organized efforts to prostitute women and children across many states.
FBI agents further develop this evidence in partnership with U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section so that prosecutors can help bring federal charges in those cities where child prostitution occurs.
The Innocence Lost National Initiative brings state and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and social service providers from across the country to NCMEC for training.
The FBI thanked the its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners representing more than 230 separate agencies who participated in Operation Cross Country VII and their ongoing enforcement efforts.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – On Monday Attorney General Kamala Harris announced a 42-year prison sentence for a Northern California man who ran a Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 400 investors, most of them elderly, out of more than $90 million.
James Koenig, 60, of Redding, owned Assent Real Estate Corp. (AREI) from 1999 to 2008. The company specialized in the acquisition, management and resale of commercial property and elder care facilities. Most victims of his Ponzi scheme were elderly individuals from the Bay Area.
In May, Koenig was found guilty of 35 felony counts, including conspiracy, use of a scheme to defraud in connection with sales of securities, sales of securities by means of false statements, and residential burglary relating to the sales of fraudulent investments. The jury also found special enhancements for “great takings” because of the large amount of loss involved.
“This individual ran a ruthless Ponzi scheme that robbed investors, including vulnerable elderly people, of their life savings,” said Harris. “The 42-year prison sentence represents justice given the severity of this crime and the deep impact on victims. I commend the work of the Department of Justice attorneys and support staff who worked on this complex case.”
Koenig did not inform investors that he had a prior federal conviction for mail fraud, which prevented him from getting favorable loan terms for his company. He also did not disclose AREI’s dire financial condition. Many of the investors were elderly and placed their life savings or home equity into the securities offered by Koenig.
The company’s early losses were managed by using the funds of new investors to pay off the original investors.
By 2007, AREI had accumulated $163 million in debt that was unsecured or significantly under-secured and required monthly payments of more than $1.8 million to maintain.
In April 2007, AREI stopped making payments to investors, while continuing to solicit and sell securities to new investors. The Ponzi scheme finally failed in the spring of 2008.
The case was based on 32 of the more than 400 victims, whose losses exceeded $8 million – $3.8 million of which came from investments made after April 2007 – when AREI stopped paying its current investors.
At the time of sentencing, the total losses by victims were reported to be in excess of $90 million.
Koenig was sentenced in Shasta County Superior Court.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Air Quality Management's top official said Monday that the Douglas Complex of more than 50 wildland fires in Southern Oregon is the source of the smoke, haze and degraded air quality in Lake County.
According to the National Interagency Coordination Center Situation Report, the Douglas Complex near Glendale, Ore. – composed of 54 fires sparked by lightning last Friday – has burned 13,400 acres and is only 2 percent contained.
Expected containment of this fire is unknown. The fire is burning in timber and brush with extreme fire behavior, fire officials reported.
Lake County Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said weather forecasts indicate moderate to poor conditions which may result in intermittent smoke impacts for the Lake County air basin over the next week.
Air quality conditions on Saturday and Sunday were good much of the day, with noticeable smoke intrusion in the evening and overnight, said Gearhart.
Gearhart said particulate levels are currently elevated into the moderate to unhealthy for sensitive individuals range. Localized areas may experience high particulate levels and unhealthy air quality, depending on the weather conditions.
The air quality forecast for Lake County on Monday is “moderate” to “unhealthy for sensitive individuals.” All areas of Lake County may be significantly impacted should meteorological conditions worsen, he said.
The “moderate” to “unhealthy for sensitive individuals” air quality alert results from fine particulate in the smoke and the possibility of increased ground level ozone, Gearhart explained.
These are generated when combustion products in the smoke combine with the high temperatures, sunlight and humidity, he said. Other chemical reactions reduce visibility by forming secondary particulates.
Smokey conditions can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and air passages. These conditions can be hazardous for sensitive individuals including young children, the elderly, and individuals with heart conditions, and those with chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions, Gearhart reported.
Poor air quality, haze, and particulate from the ongoing wildfires are expected to continue throughout Lake County, Gearhart said.
He urged county residents to take precautions and plan ahead as smoke conditions can change quickly.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Smoke from a number of wildland fires in Southern Oregon and across the west is creating hazy conditions over Northern California, including Lake County.
The National Weather Service offices in Sacramento and Medford reported that the Douglas Fire Complex north of Grants Pass, Ore., is sending large amounts of haze and smoke south.
Fire officials said the Douglas Complex has been burning since last Friday, after lightning ignited 54 fires, most of them located in the Cow Creek Canyon west of Glendale.
As of Sunday night, the complex had burned 13,400 acres and led to home evacuations near Glendale, according to fire officials.
Near the Douglas Complex are other large fires, including the 700-acre Labrador Fire and the Whiskey Complex near Tiller, Ore., reported to be 1,649 acres Sunday night.
The fires are sending up a massive smoke plume, and satellite images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's show the complex's smoke traveling down over Northern California.
Also moving west across Northern California and the North Coast is smoke from wildfires in Idaho and Montana, according to fire tracking data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last summer, a large wildland fire in Idaho had been responsible for a smoky haze over Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Organizations are joining forces to reduce the high rates of suicide amongst the North Coast's American Indian community members.
Sonoma County Indian Health Project Inc. (SCIHP) is collaborating with Family Service Agency of Marin to bring North Bay American Indians together to provide a series of workshops and trainings addressing the high rate of suicide in Indian Country.
SCIHP is hosting a Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) at Marin Headlands Aug. 30 through Sept. 2.
The gathering will feature suicide prevention training and reach more than 150 American Indian youth in the North Bay region.
Suicide is a significant public health issue affecting American Indians. The suicide rates for American Indians are 1.7 times higher than the U.S. rate for all races and ages.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for American Indian youth between the ages of 10 to 24 (3.5 times higher than the national average).
This new partnership is aimed at making it possible to extensively engage the American Indian community in the North Bay Region in prevention efforts to address these issues of disparity associated with suicide.
“The North Bay Native American Suicide Prevention Board members involved with this project are really excited to have this opportunity to bring the tribes together to plant seeds that will over time see the fruits of our labor and reduce suicide rates in Indian Country. We plan on keeping these efforts going for a long time,” said SCIHP Project Coordinator Agustin Garcia.
For every person who dies by suicide at least six people are intimately affected by the death. The survivors experience not only the loss of a loved one, but also a sense of isolation, shock, anger, guilt, depression and alienation due to the stigma attached to suicide.
Through gatherings, ceremonies, regional trainings and discussions SCIHP will increase knowledge and understanding, changing attitudes and behaviors and drawing on the strength of Native American culture and tradition to combat suicide.
The suicide prevention efforts of SCIHP are part of a larger effort in the North Bay Area.
Family Service Agency of Marin (FSA) has contracted with the California Mental Health Services Agency (CalMHSA) to coordinate the North Bay Suicide Prevention Project (NBSPP).
FSA is expanding their Marin Suicide Prevention Hotline to five targeted counties as part of this project – Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake and Solano counties.
If you are in a crisis or worried about someone who may be suicidal call the North Bay Suicide Prevention Hotline toll free at 1-855-587-6373.
The North Bay Suicide Prevention Project administered by CalMHSA, is funded by the voter approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63).
The California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) is an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit www.calmhsa.org .
For more information about the NBSP Project or SCIHP or to find out how to get involved please contact Amy Faulstich at 415-499-1193, Extension or Agustin Garcia at 707-483-1942.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Animal Care and Control has five kittens available for adoption so far this week.
The young cats range in age from 11 weeks to 16 weeks, with most spayed and all of them vaccinated and prepared for new homes.
In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.
The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).
Female domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten is 16 weeks old.
She weighs 3.6 pounds, has a white and gray coat, and has been spayed
She's in cat room kennel No. 7a, ID No. 37119.
Calico kitten
This calico kitten is 16 weeks old.
She has a short coat, weighs 3.8 pounds and has been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 7b, ID No. 7b.
Female domestic short hair mix kitten
This female domestic short hair mix kitten is 12 weeks old.
She has a short short white and gray coat, weighs 2.2 pounds and has been spayed.
She's in cat room kennel No. 45, ID No. 37132.
Male domestic long hair mix kitten
This male domestic long hair mix kitten is 11 weeks old.
He has a white and orange coat, weighs 2.2 pounds and has not yet been altered.
Find him in cat room kennel No. 48b, ID No. 37128.
Female domestic long hair mix kitten
This female domestic long hair mix kitten is 11 weeks old.
She weighs 1.8 pounds, has tortie point coloring and has not yet been spayed.
Find her in cat room kennel No. 48c, ID No. 37129.
Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .
Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.
To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .
Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .
For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.
Email Elizabeth Larson at