Senior Contra Costa County Law Enforcement Official

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Fearing PG&E

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Senior Contra Costa County Law Enforcement Official and Concord Private Investigator Indicted
Two Alleged to Have Engaged in a Spectrum of Corrupt Activities, Including Stealing Methamphetamine and Marijuana from Evidence and Selling it for Profit, Protection of a Prostitution Establishment, and Armed Robberies of Prostitutes

U.S. Attorney’s Office August 15, 2011

Northern District of California (415) 436-7200

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Norman Wielsch of Antioch, Calif., and Christopher Butler of Concord, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2011, for federal narcotics offenses, civil rights violations, and extortion, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

According to the indictment, Wielsch, 50, and Butler, 50, are alleged to have participated together in criminal activities made possible by Wielsch’s position as the commander of the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET). The indictment alleges the following abuses of Wielsch’s position, in which Butler, a private investigator based in Concord, participated and assisted:

• Wielsch, aided and abetted by Butler, stole from county evidence facilities methamphetamine and marijuana that had been seized in CNET operations. Wielsch and Butler sold some of the stolen narcotics and intended to sell the remainder. The quantity of methamphetamine sold by Wielsch and Butler was sufficiently large to trigger a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment, if proven at trial.
• Wielsch and Butler participated together in a phony “sting” operation in which they falsely detained a person under the guise of a legitimate law enforcement operation, conducted warrantless searches, and kept narcotics that were taken from the person during the “sting.”
• Butler opened a massage parlor in Pleasant Hill, Calif., in which prostitution activities took place. He required the women working in the parlor to make weekly payments, which he shared with Wielsch, in exchange for Wielsch’s agreement to provide protection to the women from law enforcement action.
• Wielsch and Butler together conducted “stings” directed at prostitutes. Wielsch and Butler identified individuals they believed to be prostitutes through online advertisements and arranged meetings with them, typically in hotels. Wielsch and Butler then staged what purported to be legitimate sting operations, but instead of seizing evidence and citing the prostitutes, they unlawfully took the prostitutes’ money and property for themselves.

“This indictment alleges a pattern of lawlessness that not only violated the trust of the people of Contra Costa County, but also brings dishonor to all the fine men and women in law enforcement who work hard, do the right thing, and risk their lives every day protecting our communities,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. In May 2011, the Contra Costa County District Attorney asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to lead the investigation. “The District Attorney’s Office led the initial investigation and did a thorough and professional job,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. “When the extent of the alleged misconduct became apparent, however, District Attorney Mark Peterson asked our office and the FBI to take the lead. We took that responsibility without hesitation.”

Wielsch and Butler were arrested this morning by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who have been investigating the case since May 2011.

The defendants’ initial appearance took place this morning in federal court in San Francisco; they are currently being held without bail pending detention hearings. Butler’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Francisco. Wielsch’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in Oakland, Calif.

The maximum statutory penalties for each count are as follows, although any sentence imposed by the court following conviction would take into consideration the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553:

Count 1 – Narcotics Conspiracy, 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 2 – Methamphetamine Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 3 – Methamphetamine Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Counts 4 through 9 – Marijuana Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Butler)

• Five years’ imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Three years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Counts 10 through 13 – Theft From Programs Receiving Federal Funds, 18 U.S.C.m § 666(a)(1) (Wielsch)

• 10 years’ imprisonment
• Three years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 14 & 16 – Civil Rights Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 241 (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment
• Five years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 15 & 17 – Extortion, 18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Wielsch and Butler)

• 20 years’ imprisonment
• Five years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Hartley M.K. West and John Hemann are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Alycee Lane, Rania Ghawi, and Cristhian Escobar.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.

Please note, an indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Mr. Wielsch and Mr. Butler must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Further Information:

CASE #: CR—11-0529-SBA

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.

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Fearing PG&E

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Senior Contra Costa County Law Enforcement Official and Concord Private Investigator Indicted
Two Alleged to Have Engaged in a Spectrum of Corrupt Activities, Including Stealing Methamphetamine and Marijuana from Evidence and Selling it for Profit, Protection of a Prostitution Establishment, and Armed Robberies of Prostitutes

U.S. Attorney’s Office August 15, 2011

Northern District of California (415) 436-7200

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Norman Wielsch of Antioch, Calif., and Christopher Butler of Concord, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2011, for federal narcotics offenses, civil rights violations, and extortion, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

According to the indictment, Wielsch, 50, and Butler, 50, are alleged to have participated together in criminal activities made possible by Wielsch’s position as the commander of the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET). The indictment alleges the following abuses of Wielsch’s position, in which Butler, a private investigator based in Concord, participated and assisted:

• Wielsch, aided and abetted by Butler, stole from county evidence facilities methamphetamine and marijuana that had been seized in CNET operations. Wielsch and Butler sold some of the stolen narcotics and intended to sell the remainder. The quantity of methamphetamine sold by Wielsch and Butler was sufficiently large to trigger a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment, if proven at trial.
• Wielsch and Butler participated together in a phony “sting” operation in which they falsely detained a person under the guise of a legitimate law enforcement operation, conducted warrantless searches, and kept narcotics that were taken from the person during the “sting.”
• Butler opened a massage parlor in Pleasant Hill, Calif., in which prostitution activities took place. He required the women working in the parlor to make weekly payments, which he shared with Wielsch, in exchange for Wielsch’s agreement to provide protection to the women from law enforcement action.
• Wielsch and Butler together conducted “stings” directed at prostitutes. Wielsch and Butler identified individuals they believed to be prostitutes through online advertisements and arranged meetings with them, typically in hotels. Wielsch and Butler then staged what purported to be legitimate sting operations, but instead of seizing evidence and citing the prostitutes, they unlawfully took the prostitutes’ money and property for themselves.

“This indictment alleges a pattern of lawlessness that not only violated the trust of the people of Contra Costa County, but also brings dishonor to all the fine men and women in law enforcement who work hard, do the right thing, and risk their lives every day protecting our communities,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. In May 2011, the Contra Costa County District Attorney asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to lead the investigation. “The District Attorney’s Office led the initial investigation and did a thorough and professional job,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. “When the extent of the alleged misconduct became apparent, however, District Attorney Mark Peterson asked our office and the FBI to take the lead. We took that responsibility without hesitation.”

Wielsch and Butler were arrested this morning by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who have been investigating the case since May 2011.

The defendants’ initial appearance took place this morning in federal court in San Francisco; they are currently being held without bail pending detention hearings. Butler’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Francisco. Wielsch’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in Oakland, Calif.

The maximum statutory penalties for each count are as follows, although any sentence imposed by the court following conviction would take into consideration the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553:

Count 1 – Narcotics Conspiracy, 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 2 – Methamphetamine Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 3 – Methamphetamine Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Counts 4 through 9 – Marijuana Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Butler)

• Five years’ imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Three years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Counts 10 through 13 – Theft From Programs Receiving Federal Funds, 18 U.S.C.m § 666(a)(1) (Wielsch)

• 10 years’ imprisonment
• Three years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 14 & 16 – Civil Rights Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 241 (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment
• Five years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 15 & 17 – Extortion, 18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Wielsch and Butler)

• 20 years’ imprisonment
• Five years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Hartley M.K. West and John Hemann are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Alycee Lane, Rania Ghawi, and Cristhian Escobar.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.

Please note, an indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Mr. Wielsch and Mr. Butler must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Further Information:

CASE #: CR—11-0529-SBA

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.

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CNET Scandal Indictment

Senior Contra Costa County Law Enforcement Official and Concord Private Investigator Indicted
Two Alleged to Have Engaged in a Spectrum of Corrupt Activities, Including Stealing Methamphetamine and Marijuana from Evidence and Selling it for Profit, Protection of a Prostitution Establishment, and Armed Robberies of Prostitutes

U.S. Attorney’s Office August 15, 2011

Northern District of California (415) 436-7200

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Norman Wielsch of Antioch, Calif., and Christopher Butler of Concord, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2011, for federal narcotics offenses, civil rights violations, and extortion, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.
According to the indictment, Wielsch, 50, and Butler, 50, are alleged to have participated together in criminal activities made possible by Wielsch’s position as the commander of the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET). The indictment alleges the following abuses of Wielsch’s position, in which Butler, a private investigator based in Concord, participated and assisted:

• Wielsch, aided and abetted by Butler, stole from county evidence facilities methamphetamine and marijuana that had been seized in CNET operations. Wielsch and Butler sold some of the stolen narcotics and intended to sell the remainder. The quantity of methamphetamine sold by Wielsch and Butler was sufficiently large to trigger a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment, if proven at trial.
• Wielsch and Butler participated together in a phony “sting” operation in which they falsely detained a person under the guise of a legitimate law enforcement operation, conducted warrantless searches, and kept narcotics that were taken from the person during the “sting.”
• Butler opened a massage parlor in Pleasant Hill, Calif., in which prostitution activities took place. He required the women working in the parlor to make weekly payments, which he shared with Wielsch, in exchange for Wielsch’s agreement to provide protection to the women from law enforcement action.
• Wielsch and Butler together conducted “stings” directed at prostitutes. Wielsch and Butler identified individuals they believed to be prostitutes through online advertisements and arranged meetings with them, typically in hotels. Wielsch and Butler then staged what purported to be legitimate sting operations, but instead of seizing evidence and citing the prostitutes, they unlawfully took the prostitutes’ money and property for themselves.

“This indictment alleges a pattern of lawlessness that not only violated the trust of the people of Contra Costa County, but also brings dishonor to all the fine men and women in law enforcement who work hard, do the right thing, and risk their lives every day protecting our communities,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. In May 2011, the Contra Costa County District Attorney asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office to lead the investigation. “The District Attorney’s Office led the initial investigation and did a thorough and professional job,” U.S. Attorney Haag said. “When the extent of the alleged misconduct became apparent, however, District Attorney Mark Peterson asked our office and the FBI to take the lead. We took that responsibility without hesitation.”
Wielsch and Butler were arrested this morning by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who have been investigating the case since May 2011.
The defendants’ initial appearance took place this morning in federal court in San Francisco; they are currently being held without bail pending detention hearings. Butler’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Francisco. Wielsch’s detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22, 2011, at 9:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in Oakland, Calif.
The maximum statutory penalties for each count are as follows, although any sentence imposed by the court following conviction would take into consideration the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553:
Count 1 – Narcotics Conspiracy, 21 U.S.C. § 846 (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 2 – Methamphetamine Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 3 – Methamphetamine Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Butler)

• Life imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Five years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Counts 4 through 9 – Marijuana Distribution, 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (Butler)

• Five years’ imprisonment (10-year mandatory minimum)
• Three years’ supervised release
• $10,000,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Counts 10 through 13 – Theft From Programs Receiving Federal Funds, 18 U.S.C.m § 666(a)(1) (Wielsch)

• 10 years’ imprisonment
• Three years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 14 & 16 – Civil Rights Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. § 241 (Wielsch and Butler)

• Life imprisonment
• Five years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Count 15 & 17 – Extortion, 18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Wielsch and Butler)

• 20 years’ imprisonment
• Five years’ supervised release
• $250,000 fine
• $100 special assessment

Hartley M.K. West and John Hemann are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Alycee Lane, Rania Ghawi, and Cristhian Escobar.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office.
Please note, an indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Mr. Wielsch and Mr. Butler must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Further Information:
CASE #: CR—11-0529-SBA
A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.

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Officer Lester Garnier July 1988

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Douglas M. Baker, Jr.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ecolab Inc.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ecolab Inc., a provider of water and hygiene services and technologies for the food,
hospitality, industrial and energy markets. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Ecolab since May 2006 and Chief Executive Officer since July 2004,
and served as President from 2002 to 2011.

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OBIT:ANDREA HUSEBY

Andrea's Obituary

ANDREA HUSEBY The family of Andrea Huseby sadly announces her passing on February 8, 2002 at the age of 32, from injuries resulting from a car accident. She and her husband Chris were on their way to the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Andrea was a resident of Danville, where she had lived for six years with her husband. Andrea was born in Hayward, grew up in Niles, and was a life-long Bay Area native. In 1995 she joined Irwin Home Equity in San Ramon where she went on to develop and head the telecommunications department for many years. Last August she left to pursue the study of classic Mediterranean art, archaeology, and history at the University of California, Berkeley. She was a junior and expected to graduate next year. She loved the ocean, collecting antiques, and adventuring around the world. Her gentle manner and warm smile and laughter will be greatly missed by her devoted husband J. Christopher Huseby, her loving parents Geraldine and Paul Wright of Brentwood, her sisters and their spouses, Jamie and Peter DeLucchi of Castro Valley, and Stephanie and Scott Carstairs of Brentwood, her brothers and their spouses, Robert and Diane Wright of Brentwood, and Jon and Sue Wright of Modesto, her youngest brother Peter Wright of San Ramon, her Grandfather Mike Long of Salt Lake City, her nieces and nephews Kyle, Chase, Taylor, Scott, Morgan, Logan, Ciara, and Shelby, and Aunts and Uncles. A memorial celebration of Andrea's wonderful life will be held at The Church on the Hill, 20801 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon, Ca, 94583. on Saturday, February 16 at 11:00 am with a Luncheon reception immediately following the service. Internment will be private and the family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Andrea Huseby Scholarship Fund, Attention: Debbie Whiteman, The Irwin Home Equity Foundation, 12677 Alcosta Blvd., Suite 500, San Ramon, CA, 94583. The Andrea Huseby Scholarship is chartered to help working adults return to school to complete their academic studies.

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DOJ:PG&E Ordered To Develop Compliance And Ethics Program As Part Of Its Sentence For Engaging In Criminal Conduct

U.S. Attorneys » Northern District of California » News

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Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Northern District of California

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, January 26, 2017

PG&E Ordered To Develop Compliance And Ethics Program As Part Of Its Sentence For Engaging In Criminal Conduct

Five years of probation and fines make up sentence for PG&E’s violations of the National Gas Pipeline Safety Act and for Obstructing Agency Proceeding

SAN FRANCISCO—  Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PG&E”) was sentenced today to submit to an expansive program of probation after having been found guilty of multiple willful violations of the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (“PSA”) and obstructing an agency proceeding, announced U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge William Swallow, and FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  Among the provisions included in the program of probation issued by the Honorable Thelton E. Henderson, District Judge, are the obligation to submit to a corporate compliance and ethics monitorship, the obligation to complete 10,000 hours of community service, and the requirement to spend up to $3 million to inform the public in print advertisements and television commercials to notify the public of the utility’s criminal and neglectful behavior.

On August 9, 2016, after a 5 ½ week trial, a federal jury found PG&E guilty of multiple willful violations of the PSA and obstructing an agency proceeding.  The PSA-related charges stem from PG&E’s record keeping and pipeline “integrity management” practices and were uncovered in the course of the San Bruno investigation.  The obstruction charge was added after investigators discovered PG&E attempted to mislead the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) during its investigation.  The evidence at trial demonstrated that, between 2007 and 2010, PG&E willfully failed to address recordkeeping deficiencies concerning its larger natural gas pipelines knowing that its records were inaccurate or incomplete.  The evidence further demonstrated that PG&E willfully failed to identify threats to its larger natural gas pipelines and to take appropriate actions to investigate the seriousness of threats to pipelines when they were identified.  In addition, PG&E willfully failed to adequately prioritize as high risk and properly assess threatened pipelines after they were over pressurized, as the PSA and its regulations required.  These charges were filed in an indictment on April 1, 2014.  In finding PG&E guilty, the jury concluded the company knowingly and willfully violated the PSA and its regulations between 2007 and 2010.   The jury found PG&E guilty of six felony counts—five willful violations of the PSA and one count of corruptly obstructing the federal investigation into the 2010 fatal pipeline explosion in San Bruno, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505.  The jury acquitted PG&E of an additional six alleged violations of the PSA.

The charge of obstructing an agency proceeding was included in a superseding indictment filed July 29, 2014.  The evidence at trial demonstrated that during the course of the NTSB’s investigation, PG&E provided a version of a policy outlining the way in which PG&E addressed manufacturing threats on its pipelines, and then sought to withdraw the document.  According to PG&E’s letter, the policy was produced in error and was an unapproved draft.  In finding PG&E guilty of obstructing an agency proceeding, the jury concluded PG&E intentionally and corruptly tried to influence, obstruct, or impede the NTSB investigation, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505. 

“Today, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company was sentenced for its crimes after having been found guilty of violating federal regulations designed to keep our citizens safe and obstructing an agency proceeding,” said U.S. Attorney Stretch. “As a part of the sentence, the court has imposed upon PG&E a monitor to ensure the company’s future compliance with the rules and regulations the company has chosen in the past to flaunt.  As we know from the horrible explosion in San Bruno in 2010, the failure of PG&E to deliver gas safely can have devastating consequences that no amount of fines and no monetary penalties can ever remedy.  While the conviction and sentence in this case will not bring back those who were lost on September 9, 2010, or eliminate the suffering of their surviving family members, it does take necessary steps toward ensuring PG&E will never again engage in this type of criminal behavior that puts all of its customers at substantial risk.  I would like to acknowledge the many public servants—including the men and women of this office, the California Attorney General’s Office, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, the San Bruno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General—whose hard work uncovered PG&E’s violations of the law and the company’s efforts to obstruct the investigation.  We are gratified that the verdicts and sentence memorialize PG&E’s criminal conduct.”

“Today’s sentencing of PG&E makes clear the solemn obligation that those entrusted with the public’s safety must make it their highest priority,” said William Swallow, regional Special Agent-in-Charge, USDOT OIG.  “The pipeline system is a critical part of our Nation’s infrastructure, and working with our Federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, we will continue to protect the safety and integrity of our transportation infrastructure from fraud, waste, abuse and violations of law.”

“The residents of San Mateo County are indebted to the public servants of the Office of the United States Attorney,” said District Attorney Wagstaffe. “We are very thankful for their hard work and perseverance without which we would not have seen such a successful conclusion to this case.” 

"The FBI San Francisco Division echoes the sentiments of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners. PG&E demonstrated a lack of concern and irresponsibility to our community,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Jack Bennett. “We have a responsibility not only to uphold and enforce the laws of the United States but also to do everything within our power to protect our citizen’s and our community. This sentence is symbolic of the FBI’s commitment to serving justice and to show that no company is too large to be held accountable for criminal acts.”

In handing down the $3 million monetary penalty, Judge Henderson ordered PG&E to pay the maximum statutory penalty allowable for each count charged under the PSA and for obstruction of justice.  In addition to the monetary penalty, Judge Henderson ordered PG&E to the maximum term of five years’ probation.  While on probation, PG&E will submit to a corporate compliance and ethics monitorship, pay for advertising in national media outlets to publicize its criminal conduct, and engage in community service.

Judge Henderson ordered PG&E to develop within the first six months “an effective compliance and ethics program” as well as a schedule for implementation of the program.  Judge Henderson’s order directs PG&E to create a program that will prevent criminal conduct with respect to gas pipeline transmission safety.  In addition, during the five-year period, PG&E will be supervised by a Compliance and Ethics Monitor whose job it will be to approve the program, oversee PG&E’s compliance with the program, inspect PG&E’s records, and receive notifications from PG&E regarding any changes in the company’s financial status.

With respect to publicity, Judge Henderson ordered PG&E to spend $3 million to publicize “the nature of the offenses it committed, the convictions, the nature of the punishment imposed and the steps that will be taken to prevent the recurrence of similar offences.”  The $3 million expenditure will include two parts.  PG&E must purchase a full page advertisement in both the Wall Street Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle.  Also, PG&E was ordered to purchase television time to air commercials “to the greatest extent possible replicating the same channels and air times that PG&E used” in the time period around when the case was being tried. 

Judge Henderson also ordered PG&E to engage in 10,000 hours of community service that must be pre-approved by a federal probation officer.  Of the 10,000 hours, 2,000 must be completed by “high level” employees.  In addition, Judge Henderson stated his expectation that the planned community service would be approved only if is separate from, and in addition to, service that PG&E already had planned to do.  Judge Henderson also advised PG&E that he expected the community service would be completed, to the greatest extent possible, in San Bruno. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Hallie Hoffman, Jeff Schenk, and Hartley West prosecuted the case with the assistance of Denise Oki, Beth Margen, Maryam Beros, Alycee Lane, Bridget Kilkenny, and Maureen French.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, the California Attorney General’s Office, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration, and the City of San Bruno Police Department. 

Attachment(s): 

Download Order re. Monitor

Topic(s): 

Financial Fraud

Component(s): 

USAO - California, Northern

Updated January 27, 2017

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URS Corp. of San Francisco The Feinstein Empire - The Dark Side

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Blum Capital Partners Announces Hires

July 23, 2012 04:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blum Capital Partners, a leading investment firm active in investing in both privately structured investments as well as strategic blocks of publicly traded securities, today announced that Peter Westley and Carol Fu have joined Blum Capital’s investment team as partner and associate, respectively.

“We are fortunate to have professionals as accomplished as Peter and Carol join our team”

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Mr. Westley, 48, brings significant investment experience to Blum Capital. He was previously a Managing Director at Salomon Smith Barney and a Partner at ThinkEquity Partners. Most recently, he was a Partner at North Point Advisors, an investment banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Westley has been both an investor and financial advisor during his career, raising more than $10 billion in equity and debt capital, and advising on more than $2 billion of transactions for his clients in a variety of industries.

Mr. Westley received his MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and BA from Dartmouth College.

“It is a privilege to be joining the firm,” said Mr. Westley. “Richard Blum’s long-term track record as a strategic financial investor is outstanding. His work as a philanthropist is equally impressive. I am also pleased to be joining Jane Su, who I have known and respected as an investor for more than 20 years. I look forward to working with Richard, Jane, and the rest of the team at Blum Capital, to take advantage of future investment opportunities on behalf of the firm’s investors.”

Ms. Fu, 28, joins Blum Capital with an extensive background in global equities. Previously, she was a senior analyst at Maverick Capital in New York City and San Francisco where she identified investment opportunities and conducted research within the industrial and energy sectors. Her experience also includes positions at Blackstone Group, Merrill Lynch and HSBC Securities, all based in Hong Kong, and at UBS in London. Ms. Fu holds a B.S. degree from the Imperial College in London, a Masters degree in Statistical Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

“We are fortunate to have professionals as accomplished as Peter and Carol join our team,” said Jane Su, Co-Managing Partner at Blum Capital.

Ms. Su further noted that Blum Capital plans to continue to enhance its team of senior investment professionals in the coming months to serve both the firm’s existing investors and to expand the Blum franchise.

About Blum Capital Partners

Blum Capital Partners is a San Francisco-based public strategic block and private investment firm with approximately $1.6 billion of equity capital under management. Blum Capital Partners was founded in 1975 and has invested in a wide variety of businesses, including through multiple going-private transactions. Throughout its history, Blum has demonstrated its expertise in proactively identifying attractive businesses to own, determining the most favorable ways to invest in those businesses across the public/private spectrum and helping to drive value creation as an active, engaged partner to management teams.

Contacts

Water & Wall Group
Scott Sunshine, 212-699-3672
ssunshine@waterandwallgroup.com

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KKR Appoints Arun Sarin as Senior Advisor

KKR Appoints Arun Sarin as Senior Advisor

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New York, October 7, 2009 - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. ("KKR") today announced the appointment of Arun Sarin as a Senior Advisor to KKR. Mr. Sarin is the former Chief Executive Officer of mobile telecommunications leader Vodafone Group Plc, and had previously been a Senior Advisor to KKR.

Henry R. Kravis and George R. Roberts, Co-Founders of KKR, said: "We are delighted to welcome Arun Sarin back to the Firm as a Senior Advisor. From our past close partnerships with Arun - starting when he became CEO of Accel-KKR Telecom almost a decade ago and then as a Senior Advisor to KKR - we know first-hand of Arun's deep knowledge, global relationships, and diversified career as a world-class executive. We look forward to leveraging his broad business acumen, 25 years of experience and leadership across a variety of management and investment initiatives."

"I am very pleased to have this opportunity to work with the KKR team once again," said Mr. Sarin. "KKR is a preeminent investment firm that has evolved over three decades and expanded its investment capabilities. I am excited to contribute my own experience to cultivating KKR's existing investments and enhancing the Firm's growth initiatives."

Mr. Sarin's career began in 1984 at Pacific Telesis Group (PTG), where he pioneered the expansion of the mobile communications industry by acquiring numerous domestic and international cellular licenses. He held several senior roles at PTG over the next decade. In 1994, he led the review and recommendation for the spinoff of the wireless businesses from PTG, which became AirTouch Communications. Subsequently, he was appointed President and COO of AirTouch in 1997.

With the 1999 merger of Vodafone and AirTouch, Mr. Sarin became CEO of Vodafone's US/Asia Pacific region. He left Vodafone in 2000 and rejoined as Chief Executive in 2003. The Group's M&A focus was originally based on opportunities in developed markets, but this shifted to incorporate emerging markets in 2006. Mr. Sarin subsequently led the company's re-entry into the Indian market in 2007, and also acquired several other mobile operators in high growth markets such as Turkey, Ghana, Romania, Czech Republic and Qatar. In his five years as CEO, Vodafone returned capital of approximately £34 billion to shareholders including dividends and buy backs. He retired from Vodafone last year.

Mr. Sarin has an MS in Engineering and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley. He received his BS in Engineering from IIT, the Indian Institute of Technology. He is a member of the boards of directors of Cisco Systems, Inc. and Safeway Inc. He has served on numerous boards in the past, including Gap Inc. and Charles Schwab Corp., and as a non-executive director of the Court of the Bank of England.

KKR's Senior Advisors are part of the Firm's integrated model of value creation. They include current and former senior executives who bring unique leadership skills to complement the work of KKR investment professionals, the operational executives at KKR Capstone, and serve as liaisons to manage relationships with current and future investment partners.

About KKR
Established in 1976, KKR is a leading global alternative asset manager. KKR's franchise is sponsoring and managing funds that make investments in private equity, fixed income and other assets in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Throughout its history, KKR has brought a long-term investment approach, focusing on working in partnership with management teams of its portfolio companies and investing for future competitiveness and growth. KKR has $37.5 billion in private equity assets under management and $13.3 billion in credit assets under management as of June 30, 2009 through various private and publicly traded funds and separately managed accounts. KKR also carries out capital markets activities through its broker dealer subsidiaries. KKR has offices in New York, Menlo Park, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing, Mumbai, Dubai and Sydney. More information about KKR is available at: www.kkr.com.

Media Contacts:
Peter McKillop or Kristi Huller
Phone: 212-750-8300
Email: media@kkr.co

Media Contacts

AMERICAS

Kristi Huller
+ 1 212 750-8300
media@kkr.com

EMEA

Ludo Bammens
+ 44 20 7839 9800
kkrpr-uk@kkr.com

ASIA-PACIFIC

Anita Davis
+852 36027335
media@kkr.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Craig Larson
+ 1 877 610-4910
Investor-Relations@kkr.com

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US Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Murdered Mormons

Instructor at the FBI West Coast Bomb School.
Noteable cases were Judi bari Bommbing

US Attorney General, 2001-05

John Ashcroft
AKA John David Ashcroft
Born: 9-May-1942
Birthplace: Chicago, IL
Gender: Male
Religion: Born-Again Christian [1]
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Politician
Party Affiliation: Republican
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: US Attorney General, 2001-05
More than merely a cliché, John Ashcroft really is holier than thou. His grandfather and father were both evangelical preachers, and Rev Ashcroft's household had strict rules. Movies, for example, were not allowed, because even in the 1940s and '50s the Ashcrofts did not approve of Hollywood's liberal lifestyles. In high school, Ashcroft worked at the local Dairy Queen, but he says he never attended a dance or had premarital sex, and he does not swear, smoke, or drink alcoholic beverages. He has refused to participate in raffles, even to support conservative causes, because he does not gamble.
Ashcroft studied law at Yale, and promptly secured a position teaching law at Southwest Missouri State University -- a job which carried the perk of immunity from the Vietnam era draft. He was appointed state auditor in 1973, and promoted to assistant attorney general in 1975. He was elected state attorney general in 1976, and held that office until 1985, when he was elected Governor of Missouri. As Governor, he vetoed a bill that would have allowed liquor sales on Sundays, and another act that would have permitted a smidgen of alcohol in candy. In vetoing funding for an AIDS care center, he was quoted saying, "Well, they're there because of their own misconduct, and it wasn't very reputable misconduct, either."
Ashcroft was elected to the US Senate in 1994, where he opposed condom distribution and needle-exchange programs, and once waved a sonogram of his unborn grandchild as an argument against federal funding for abortions. He became one of the first politicians to advocate federal funding for "faith-based programs", and earned perfect marks from the Christian Coalition. When asked whether he had any problem legislating morality, Ashcroft once explained, "I think all we should legislate is morality. We shouldn't legislate immorality." On a break from Washington, Ashcroft returned to his Missouri estate in 1997, where he says he saw a flock of bald eagles flying across the sunrise, and felt God's inspiration to write his famous love ballad to America, "Let the eagle soar."
Running for a second Senate term in 2000, Ashcroft lost to Mel Carnahan, who had been killed in a plane crash three weeks before the election. Carnahan's wife was appointed to take her husband's seat, and as Ashcroft's consolation prize he was appointed US Attorney General by George W. Bush, a job that made him the nation's highest law enforcement officer.
After September 11, 2001, Ashcroft was generally credited as 'architect' of the PATRIOT Act, which established several short cuts to circumvent such traditional and constitutional safeguards as search warrants and judicial oversight of police. Ashcroft authorized secret arrests and detentions, expanded wiretapping, blocked Freedom of Information Act requests, OK'd eavesdropping on defense lawyers and infiltration of political protest groups. He tried to organize a nationwide "tips" line for mail carriers, home repairmen, delivery drivers and others whose occupations bring them in contact with the general public to report suspicious activity. For all this effort, however, Ashcroft had surprisingly few successful prosecutions against terrorists, and the Justice Dept was caught several times playing "shell games" with the numbers. For example, crimes such as writing bad checks or protesters trespassing on a Navy base were listed as "terror convictions", despite having no cited connection to any acts of terrorism.
Prior to Ashcroft's appointment, the Justice Department's pornography prosecutions were almost exclusively child pornography, but Ashcroft oversaw a self-described War on Pornography. At least half a dozen agents were assigned to monitor on-line pornography full-time, forty hours a week surfing the internet and taking notes. Dozens of prosecutors were assigned to a special anti-porn office, and Ashcroft publicly complained that pornography "invades our homes persistently though the mail, phone, VCR, cable TV and the Internet," and "has strewn its victims from coast to coast". Under Ashcroft, the Justice Dept prosecuted filmmakers for fictional videos that included rape scenes, waged battle against the makers of HBO's Real Sex, and threatened companies that supply 'erotica' films available for rent in most American hotels.
Despite his long-time support for "state's rights", he brought federal action against Oregon's law allowing assisted suicide, and against California's law allowing medicinal use of marijuana. Uncomfortable with the bare-breasted statue called "Spirit of Justice" in Justice Department headquarters, he ordered the statue covered. As Attorney General, he held daily devotions in his office, with senior staff members "invited" to attend. He also distributed photocopied lyrics to "Let the Eagles Soar", asking department heads and other high-level Justice Department officials to sing along with him.
He has said he was anointed with oil "in the manner of King David" as he took each successive political office in his career. When he became a Senator his father anointed him with Crisco brand cooking oil, and died the next day. Before becoming Attorney General, Ashcroft had Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas do the anointing.
Since leaving the Bush administration, Ashcroft has pursued his first private sector employment since his Dairy Queen days -- his services are now available as a lobbyist. His clients include Choicepoint, Israel Aircraft Industries International, and Oracle Corporation. His fees reportedly start in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars, and apparently he is worth every penny -- with his contacts deep inside the Bush administration, Ashcroft has had remarkable success securing his clients' interests in Washington.
His wife, Janet Ashcroft, is on the Board of Trustees at Patrick Henry College, a fundamentalist Christian college. Its stated goals include producing graduates "who will lead our nation and shape our culture with timeless biblical values". The school is not accredited, but since its founding in 1998, dozens of its students have served internships under Republican Congressmen, Senators, and in the Bush-Cheney White House.

---

[1] Assemblies of God (Pentecostal).
Father: J. Robert Ashcroft (preacher)
Mother: Grace Ashcroft
Brother: (older)
Brother: (younger)
Wife: Janet Elise Roede Ashcroft (m. 1967)
Daughter: Martha Grace Patterson (attorney)
Son: John Robert Ashcroft (teacher)
Son: Andrew David Ashcroft (US Navy)
    High School: Hillcrest High School, Springfield, MO (1960)
    University: BA, Yale University (1964)
    Law School: JD, University of Chicago (1967)
    Teacher: Business Law, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield MO
    Administrator: Board of Reference, Oral Roberts University
    Blackwater Chair of Ethics Committee (2011-)
    US Attorney General (2001-04)
    US Senator, Missouri (1995-2001)
    Governor of Missouri (1985-93)
    Attorney General of Missouri (1977-84)
    Missouri State Official Assistant Attorney General (1975-77)
    Missouri State Auditor (1973-75)
    American Compass
    Council for National Policy
    Federalist Society
    John McCain 2008
    McCain-Palin Compliance Fund
    Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity honorary
    Dairy Queen Springfield, MO (age 13)
    Draft Deferment: Vietnam
    Born-Again Christian
    Traveled to the USSR Dec-1991
    Cholecystectomy (Mar-2004)
    US Big Brother Award Worst Public Official or Department 2002
    Sued by the ACLU (6-Aug-2003)
    Funeral: Ronald Reagan (2004)
    Norwegian Ancestry
Rotten Library Page:
John Ashcroft

Appears on the cover of:
US News and World Report, 26-Jan-2004, DETAILS: The Real John Ashcroft -- America's top cop is loved and hated. Here's what makes him tick

Victim: Nathaniel Greenan Sister:Cecilia Greenan Ashcroft Sister: Nancy Greenan Hamil Father: James Greenan Brother in-law: Dax Craven, disbarred represented Bennett who lost his sons to the Mormons

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