Latest news with #Carranza
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Judge tosses police union lawsuit against LAPD commander accused of computer fraud
A Los Angeles County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the union for rank-and-file police officers against an LAPD commander accused of accessing emails, surveys and materials intended only for lower-ranking cops. In a ruling Monday, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Bruce Iwasaki sided with Cmdr. Lillian Carranza and her co-defendant, Deputy Chief Marc Reina, who argued that the Los Angeles Police Protective League failed to prove the allegations of unlawful computer data access and fraud. Read more: Lawsuit claims LAPD commander tried to 'discredit' police union. Is it part of a broader rift? Iwasaki wrote that the league failed to make a clear allegation of the 'damage or loss' it incurred as a result of Carranza's actions, which centered on her accessing a union survey of its members, who are all below the rank of captain. Carranza and other command officers have their own separate union. Among other legal technicalities, Iwasaki wrote that the company Survey Monkey owned the survey in question — not the league. The suit was dismissed 'with prejudice,' which means it cannot be refiled. Carranza declined to discuss the ruling when reached this week, saying she wanted to explore her legal options first. Reina, who runs the department bureau that oversees training and recruitment, did not respond to a request for comment. Until recently, he also served as president of the Los Angeles Police Command Officers Assn., the union for department leadership. The league's suit, filed last year, accused Carranza of accessed the union's website by passing herself off as a lower-ranking officer and filled out a survey meant to grade supervisors. Carranza argued in court filings that she used her name when logging in, and pointed out that she and other command staff routinely used the league's system to access their agency benefits. In a letter to the command officers union last December, league President Craig Lally said command officers' access to the "benefits portal" would be cut off by the end of the year. A voicemail left for Lally went unreturned on Thursday. League officials have said a digital forensics firm hired to investigate the matter found that Carranza had opened approximately 49 'confidential emails' the union had sent to its members from 2016 to 2024, allegedly to undermine the union's credibility. The suit came amid an intensifying dispute between the league and Carranza, an outspoken commander from LAPD's Central Bureau, who in the past has repeatedly sued the department over its treatment of female officers and alleged underreporting of crime statistics. The league made a show of going after Carranza, calling a news conference, releasing YouTube videos and taking subtle shots at her in the pages of its monthly magazine, Thin Blue Line. Carranza further drew the league's ire when she came to the defense of a female captain who insisted on conducting a use-of-force investigation into an incident involving two of her officers. The union — whose members include most LAPD officers, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants — has argued that department morale is low because Carranza and other commanders lack accountability. Read more: LAPD cops shot 21 bystanders in 10 years. How does it keep happening? In addition to publicly criticizing Carranza, the union has also singled out other high-ranking officials — namely, Reina and Michael Rimkunas, another deputy chief who oversees internal investigations. Carranza, who was promoted to captain in 2012 and made commander in 2023, applied for the LAPD chief's job, which was vacated when Michel Moore retired in February 2024. Sources previously told The Times that Carranza was among a number of candidates who were invited for a second round of interviews. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Judge tosses police union lawsuit against LAPD commander accused of computer fraud
A Los Angeles County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the union for rank-and-file police officers against an LAPD commander accused of accessing emails, surveys and materials intended only for lower-ranking cops. In a ruling Monday, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Bruce Iwasaki sided with Cmdr. Lillian Carranza and her co-defendant, Deputy Chief Marc Reina, who argued that the Los Angeles Police Protective League failed to prove the allegations of unlawful computer data access and fraud. Iwasaki wrote that the league failed to make a clear allegation of the 'damage or loss' it incurred as a result of Carranza's actions, which centered on her accessing a union survey of its members, who are all below the rank of captain. Carranza and other command officers have their own separate union. Among other legal technicalities, Iwasaki wrote that the company Survey Monkey owned the survey in question — not the league. The suit was dismissed 'with prejudice,' which means it cannot be refiled. Carranza declined to discuss the ruling when reached this week, saying she wanted to explore her legal options first. Reina, who runs the department bureau that oversees training and recruitment, did not respond to a request for comment. Until recently, he also served as president of the Los Angeles Police Command Officers Assn., the union for department leadership. The league's suit, filed last year, accused Carranza of accessed the union's website by passing herself off as a lower-ranking officer and filled out a survey meant to grade supervisors. Carranza argued in court filings that she used her name when logging in, and pointed out that she and other command staff routinely used the league's system to access their agency benefits. In a letter to the command officers union last December, league President Craig Lally said command officers' access to the 'benefits portal' would be cut off by the end of the year. A voicemail left for Lally went unreturned on Thursday. League officials have said a digital forensics firm hired to investigate the matter found that Carranza had opened approximately 49 'confidential emails' the union had sent to its members from 2016 to 2024, allegedly to undermine the union's credibility. The suit came amid an intensifying dispute between the league and Carranza, an outspoken commander from LAPD's Central Bureau, who in the past has repeatedly sued the department over its treatment of female officers and alleged underreporting of crime statistics. The league made a show of going after Carranza, calling a news conference, releasing YouTube videos and taking subtle shots at her in the pages of its monthly magazine, Thin Blue Line. Carranza further drew the league's ire when she came to the defense of a female captain who insisted on conducting a use-of-force investigation into an incident involving two of her officers. The union — whose members include most LAPD officers, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants — has argued that department morale is low because Carranza and other commanders lack accountability. In addition to publicly criticizing Carranza, the union has also singled out other high-ranking officials — namely, Reina and Michael Rimkunas, another deputy chief who oversees internal investigations. Carranza, who was promoted to captain in 2012 and made commander in 2023, applied for the LAPD chief's job, which was vacated when Michel Moore retired in February 2024. Sources previously told The Times that Carranza was among a number of candidates who were invited for a second round of interviews.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
New York woman arrested for allegedly operating fake dentistry practice, injuring patients
A woman in New York was arrested for allegedly running an unlicensed dentistry operation inside her Suffolk County home despite having no professional dentistry training. Yolany Mejia Carranza, 55, was charged with three counts of unauthorized practice of a profession, according to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. "The investigation started when Third Precinct detectives received tips that Carranza had injured several patients and, in one case, caused severe nerve damage that led to partial facial paralysis," Catalina said during a news conference Friday. "We think that there's probably many more potential complainants out there, and we would strongly encourage them to come forward." Female Georgia Dentist From Wealthy Coastal Enclave Accused Of Killing Boyfriend Catalina said police believe Carranza targeted the Hispanic community, particularly illegal immigrants without health insurance. ABC7 reported Carranza only used local anesthesia despite the serious level of procedures she was completing, and police found antibiotics in the home dentistry space Carranza acquired from overseas. Read On The Fox News App 'Vampire Facials' At Unlicensed Spa Likely Resulted In Hiv Infections: Cdc Police also believe she practiced another illegal home dentistry for eight years at a different location. "[Prosecutors] are alleging that … she's been operating a dental practice for, I guess, the last 10 or 15 years without having the licensing," Carranza's attorney, Aaron Wallenstein, told Fox News Digital. "You know if these [allegations] were true — that she was actually performing dental work — and she was for the last 10 or 15 years, I think, you know, three complaints in 10 or 15 years for any dentist is not a bad percentage for what they're alleging that she did." Carranza was arraigned March 14 and released. She is due back in court April article source: New York woman arrested for allegedly operating fake dentistry practice, injuring patients
Fox News
23-03-2025
- Fox News
New York woman arrested for allegedly operating fake dentistry practice, injuring patients
A woman in New York was arrested for allegedly running an unlicensed dentistry operation inside her Suffolk County home despite having no professional dentistry training. Yolany Mejia Carranza, 55, was charged with three counts of unauthorized practice of a profession, according to Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. "The investigation started when Third Precinct detectives received tips that Carranza had injured several patients and, in one case, caused severe nerve damage that led to partial facial paralysis," Catalina said during a news conference Friday. "We think that there's probably many more potential complainants out there, and we would strongly encourage them to come forward." Catalina said police believe Carranza targeted the Hispanic community, particularly illegal immigrants without health insurance. ABC7 reported Carranza only used local anesthesia despite the serious level of procedures she was completing, and police found antibiotics in the home dentistry space Carranza acquired from overseas. Police also believe she practiced another illegal home dentistry for eight years at a different location. "[Prosecutors] are alleging that … she's been operating a dental practice for, I guess, the last 10 or 15 years without having the licensing," Carranza's attorney, Aaron Wallenstein, told Fox News Digital. "You know if these [allegations] were true — that she was actually performing dental work — and she was for the last 10 or 15 years, I think, you know, three complaints in 10 or 15 years for any dentist is not a bad percentage for what they're alleging that she did." Carranza was arraigned March 14 and released. She is due back in court April 1.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
NY woman posing as a dentist performed root canals on undocumented immigrants: cops
A Long Island woman is accused of posing as a dentist and performing dangerous root canals and dental extractions on undocumented and uninsured immigrants — giving one facial paralysis — even though she has no dental qualifications. Suffolk County Police arrested Yolany Mejia Carranza, 55, on Thursday in connection with the sham practice. Carranza is accused of running a makeshift dental clinic in Bay Ridge even though she never went to dental school. 'What she's doing is extremely dangerous,' said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. 'We don't know what her background is. What we do know is she was not trained as a dentist.' Police say they received tips from several injured patients, including one who suffered nerve damage from a procedure, which caused partial facial paralysis. 'It has to be extremely traumatic,' said Catalina. Detectives executed a search warrant and discovered a fully-functioning dental office. Police say Carranza was exploiting the Hispanic community — mostly undocumented immigrants without insurance, who found out about her practice through word of mouth. Her business was cash-only, and police believe she got antibiotics from overseas, but performed procedures without adequate anesthesia. She is alleged to have run the scam in Bay Shore, and at a prior location in Huntington Station, for a total of eight years. Police said they 'could not even guess' how long her victim list was. 'I would imagine it's extensive,' said Catalina. Carranza was arraigned in court Friday and charged with three counts of unauthorized practice of a profession — a class E felony in New York. She was released and is due back in Suffolk 1st District Court on April 1. Carranza's lawyer did not return a request for comment.
