Latest news with #BillEssayli
Fox News
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Exclusive video: Feds bust fraud ring accused of stealing $47M in COVID, small business loans
For the second week in a row, the Department of Homeland Security carried out a dramatic, early-morning raid in Los Angeles targeting transnational organized crime rings. This week's bust netted fourteen arrests from an Armenian fraud ring that investigators say stole $30 million in COVID relief and Small Business loans meant to help taxpaying Americans. "If you are taking money from the government that doesn't belong to you, your door could be the next one that we're hitting," said U.S. Attorney for California's Central District, Bill Essayli. Fox News was exclusively embedded with DHS in the multi-agency sting that included the IRS and the Small Business Administration. Thirteen of the suspects are Armenian-born but have become naturalized. At least one of the suspects faces deportation. "This is the police. We have a warrant. Come out with your hands up!" one officer's voice echoed on a loudspeaker attached to an armored vehicle with agents inside. The special unit inside the armored vehicle first cut the chain on a gated driveway and then demanded one of the targeted suspects come out of his L.A.-area home in a sunrise bust. The wanted suspect is Armenian born and uses the name William McGrayan. He surrendered to police in the bust, slowly walking out of his front door towards the armored vehicle with his hands over his head. The criminal complaint says that an informant described McGrayan as "unhinged" claiming he talked about his ties to gangs in Armenia and threatened one person with a gun and baseball bat. Investigators say McGrayan is the brains of the crime ring that applied to steal $47 million in federal funds and got away with around $30 million. Court documents read that the suspects allegedly used phony documents including fake bank and tax papers to create multiple shell companies that applied for the federal funds. "That's $47 million in taxpayer funds that was meant to go to good use, and these transnational criminal organizations are exploiting the American people's good will and using it for their personal gain," said John Pasciucco, Acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI Los Angeles. After the fourteen suspects were arrested, they were brought to an unmarked, specially designated processing center to be booked. Law enforcement seized approximately $20,000 in cash, two money-counting machines, paper cash bands or currency straps in denominations of $2,000 and $10,000, multiple cell phones, multiple laptops, two loaded semi-automatic 9mm handguns, and boxes of 9mm ammunition. The suspects are charged with a range of crimes from conspiracy, wire and bank fraud to money laundering. Authorities say some of the money was spent on houses and luxury goods, other amounts were sent to Armenia, making it harder for the U.S. to trace.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DOJ investigating California for potential Title IX violations over trans athlete policies
The Brief The DOJ is investigating California for potential Title IX violations because of its policies regarding transgender athletes in sports. This weekend, a transgender athlete will compete in the state track and field championship. President Donald Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from California if the state allows that student to compete. JURUPA VALLEY, Calif. - The U.S. Department of Justice announced a new investigation in California to determine whether the state is violating Title IX by allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. "By allowing a boy to go on the girls' team is a violation of Title IX," said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. What we know On Wednesday, Essayli and the Justice Department launched an investigation over possible Title IX violations in Jurupa Valley, and a trans athlete taking first place in girls track in field events. "Title IX is clear, you cannot discriminate based on sex," said Essayli. The federal offices are also joining an ongoing lawsuit against Riverside Unified School District after a trans athlete displaced a girl for a varsity spot on a high school cross-country team. SUGGESTED: Students, parents react to California's transgender high school sports controversy Currently, California law requires schools to allow transgender athletes to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. t What they're saying "Everyone [in these California cases] is violating [Title IX]," said Essaylli. "The school district is violating it, CIF, and the state law is violating it." Later this week, AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete at Jurupa Valley High School, will compete in several events at the track and field state championship. Hernandez has been the center of the Title IX debate in recent weeks and spoke with "Capital & Main" about the backlash at meets. "I'm still a child and you're an adult," Hernandez told Capital and Main News. "For you to act like a child, shows how you are as a person. There's nothing I can do about peoples' actions, just focus on my own." The backstory In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from competing in girls' sports. Then on Tuesday, he posted a lengthy message to Truth Social referencing the Hernandez case without mentioning a name. In the post, Trump threatened to stop federal funding in California if Hernandez competes this week in the state finals. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trump threatens to cut California's federal funding over transgender athlete controversy Following Trump's post, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) changed the rules ahead of this week's track and field state championship. On Wednesday CIF told FOX 11, if a trans athlete wins an event at this week's championship they'll receive a gold, as will the first biological female. "That's strange and doesn't solve the problem," said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillion. "The problem is a boy being allowed to compete against girls." According to Dhillion, the new Title IX investigation in California could set a precedent for 21 other states with similar trans athlete laws. "You look at why Title IX was ever needed," said Dhillion. "It was needed so girls could have an equal opportunity to compete. They don't have an equal opportunity to compete when boys are competing against girls." The Source Information in this story is from U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the California Interscholastic Federation, an interview AB Hernandez gave to "Capital & Main," and U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillion.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DOJ intervening in California trans athlete controversy as Trump monitors girls' track and field championship
Print Close By Jackson Thompson Published May 28, 2025 Attorney General Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice have turned their eye west in President Donald Trump's battle to counter a wave of trans athletes competing in girls' high school sports. The DOJ announced an investigation into California's high school sports league, the CIF, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, to determine whether the state has violated Title IX by enabling trans athletes to compete in girls' sports since 2014. "Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies," Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. "This Division will aggressively defend women's hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities." CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON The office of United States Attorney Bill Essayli, who previously served as a California state lawmaker and fought on the ground to support families opposing trans athletes in girls' sports, is also involved in the investigation. "The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral," said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. "My office and the rest of the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls' sports and stop anyone – public officials included – from violating women's civil rights." The announcement cites a current lawsuit filed by the families of two girls' high school athletes at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California. The announcement did not identify the plaintiffs by name. The lawsuit, which was filed by the families of Taylor Starling and Kaitlyn Slavin, alleged the school's cross-country team dropped Starling from her varsity spot in favor of a trans athlete, and that school administrators compared their "Save Girls Sports" t-shirts to swastikas, Fox News Digital has previously reported. TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND Starling even testified before the house legislature supporting a pair of bills that would have reversed California's girls' sports eligibility policy on April 1. Both bills failed to pass due to opposition from the Democrat Majority. But now, the lawsuit is being cited in a federal investigation. Trump's Department of Justice has already shown itself willing to sue a state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. Bondi announced a lawsuit against Maine on April 16 after weeks of warnings and tension, that included multiple federal funding pauses, which have been restored, and a public spat between Trump and Governor Janet Mills. Starling's father, Ryan Starling, previously told Fox News Digital that he supported Trump's funding cuts to Maine, and would support similar sanctions against his state for allowing trans athletes in girls' sports. "Good," Ryan Starling said in response to seeing the situation in Maine, knowing the same could soon play out in his state. "That's the only thing they answer to, is when their funding is cut and when it actually affects their pocketbooks, that's the only thing that will get it to change. MAINE GIRL INVOLVED IN TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE REVEALS HOW STATE'S POLICIES HURT HER CHILDHOOD AND SPORTS CAREER The situation in Maine was prompted heavily by news of a trans athlete who won a girls' pole vault competition after previously competing in the boys' category. Now, California faces a potential similar outcome in its state track and field championship. The upcoming girls' state title meet will feature a trans athlete competing in girls' long jump and triple jump. The athlete, AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School, has dominated the girls' postseason so far, taking first place in both events in the sectional final on May 17. Trump's Department of Education previously sent a warning to California and Jurupa Valley High School via an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital on May 15. The high school has defended letting Hernandez compete in the girls' category, as to follow current state law. "JUSD continues to follow both California law and CIF policy regarding school athletics. Both state law and CIF policy currently require that students be permitted to participate in athletic teams and competitions consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil's records. JUSD remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of the students we serve, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws," the district said in a previous statement provided to Fox News Digital. Trump himself got in on the debate when he sent a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning, warning the state and Governor Gavin Newsom of potential funding cuts, and orders to local authorities to prevent a trans athlete from competing in the girls' category on Saturday. Just hours later, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced it would make a slight rule change for this weekend's championship. The change allows biologically female athletes who fell just shy of qualifying for the championship behind a trans athlete a chance to compete for the title this weekend. Newsom's office provided a statement to Fox News Digital supporting the CIF's decision. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This change will result in at least two competitors qualifying to compete for the state title after falling just shy of the typical qualification threshold on Saturday. "CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing. The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach," the statement read. Newsom previously admitted he thought biological males competing in girls' sports was "deeply unfair," during an episode of his podcast in March. Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD) where Jurupa Valley High School is based, was included in the DOJ's list of recipients of a letter informing of the incoming investigation, in the department's official announcement on Tuesday. However, the school district claims it has not received any letter of complaint, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The DOJ has confirmed to Fox News Digital that the JUSD is named in the letter. Fox News Digital has reached out to the CIF, Bonta's office and Riverside Unified School District for a response. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Print Close URL
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. attorney in LA launches crackdown on sanctuary policies in California jails
The Brief U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has launched a program called "Operation Guardian Angel" to combat sanctuary city immigration policies. The program allows federal authorities to enter jails across Southern California to make arrests. A spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom says state law already allows this. LOS ANGELES - Newly sworn-in U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has launched a new program across Southern California to combat sanctuary city immigration policies. Essayli's newly announced "Operation Guardian Angel" allows federal authorities to enter jails across Southern California to make arrests. This operation is intended to "neutralize" sanctuary state laws, his office said. "We have agents working around the clock," Essayli said. "As soon as someone is booked in the county jail, we're able to access their fingerprints." His administration will identify people with criminal records who have been deported and charge them with illegally reentering the United States, a federal crime. "First they're going to come to court, and they're going to be charged and tried on that felony," said Essayli. "They may end up serving many years in federal prison before they're deported. That is what the California politicians are doing to these immigrants. They're subjecting them to more prison time by doing this sanctuary state policy." In an interview Wednesday, Fox 11 asked Essayli if he considers Los Angeles a "sanctuary city". "No," responded Essayli. "It's not a sanctuary." Essayli's operation comes after the LA City Council voted last years to officially become a sanctuary city, preventing city resources from being used to help enforce federal immigration laws. A spokesperson from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office pushed back, saying the governor has previously rejected multiple bills that would have weakened law enforcement's ability to coordinate with ICE. State officials say they already cooperate with federal officials with regard to immigrants who have committed crimes. "State law has explicitly permitted cooperation in these circumstances for many years," said a Newsom spokesperson. Essayli is a former state assemblyman and the son of Lebanese immigrants. He told Fox News he created a group of federal officials to look through databases to identify jailed immigrants who had been deported. Essayli estimates roughly 50 arrests per week through Operation Guardian Angel across his district's seven Southern California counties. "This isn't just some power struggle between the feds and the state, we're actually trying to keep people safe," said Essayli. The Source Information in this story is from an interview with U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office and previous FOX 11 reports.
Epoch Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Epoch Times
California Utility Agrees to Pay $82.5 Million to Settle Claims From 2020 Fire
LOS ANGELES—Southern California Edison has reached a record $82.5 million settlement with the United States to resolve claims stemming from the 2020 Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. The U.S. government sued SoCal Edison in September 2023, alleging in Los Angeles federal court that the Bobcat Fire—one of the largest wildfires ever in Los Angeles County—was caused by the failure of the utility and its tree maintenance contractor to properly maintain trees that came into contact with power lines and caused the blaze. The Bobcat Fire ignited in September 2020 and scorched more than 114,000 acres—nearly 175 square miles—of which nearly 100,000 acres were in the Angeles National Forest. 'This record settlement against Southern California Edison provides meaningful compensation to taxpayers for the extensive costs of fighting the Bobcat Fire and for the widespread damage to public lands,' U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said in a statement. 'My office will continue to aggressively pursue recovery for suppression costs and environmental damages from any entity that causes harm to the public's forests and other precious national resources.' The utility agreed to pay the settlement without admitting wrongdoing or fault. SoCal Edison spokeswoman Gabriela Ornelas said public safety remains a company priority. Related Stories 3/6/2025 2/27/2024 'Our hearts are with the people who were affected by the Bobcat Fire,' she told City News Service. 'We are pleased to have resolved this matter and will continue to advance wildfire mitigation measures to further enhance public safety and resiliency.' The U.S. filed suit on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service against SoCal Edison and Utility Tree Service to recover costs incurred fighting the wildfire and for the extensive damages caused to the forest. The wildfire started on Sept. 6, 2020, and resulted in more than three times the acreage damage caused by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires combined. The fire caused years of closure of more than 100 miles of trails and numerous campgrounds. It also had a detrimental impact on habitats and wildlife, including to the federally endangered wildlife-mountain yellow-legged frog, federally threatened fish and birds, and irreplaceable cultural and heritage resources, according to the DOJ. The settlement is considered the largest-ever wildfire cost recovery by the U.S. in the region. According to the complaint, the Forest Service sustained fire suppression costs in excess of $56 million, and it incurred property and natural resource damages of more than $65 million. 'Forest Service investigators determined that the Bobcat Fire ignited due to a tree in contact with power lines (conductors) owned and operated by SCE and maintained by SCE and UTS,' the lawsuit states. 'The contact resulted in ignition of vegetation on a branch, which fell to the ground and spread.' The wildfire destroyed 171 structures and 178 vehicles, damaged 47 structures, and resulted in the widespread evacuation of residences. It took weeks to put the fire out. In 2021, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services announced the approval of more than $50,000 in reimbursements to help cover damages to Arcadia and Monrovia caused by the fire. The funding helped cover the costs of engineering and constructing a parking lot at the entrance of Canyon Park in Monrovia, and the costs of labor and equipment to clear vegetative debris from Wilderness Park in Arcadia, according to a Cal OES statement. SoCal Edison agreed to pay the $82.5 million settlement by July 14. 'We are grateful to receive these settlement funds, which mark an important step toward recovery and restoration,' said Deputy Forest Supervisor Tony Martinez of the Angeles National Forest. 'These resources will help us rehabilitate burned areas, restore wildlife habitats, and strengthen our forests' resilience to future wildfires.'
