SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson of the Northern District of California today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or to the NCDF e-mail address disaster@leo.gov.

In coordination with the Department of Justice, Attorney General William Barr has directed U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus fraud schemes. The NCDF Hotline can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate and prosecute fraud schemes.

“Unfortunately, there are fraudsters out there who will try to use this public health emergency to scam the public and profit on the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Anderson. “As communities throughout Northern California take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to guard against fraud and bring swift justice to those who try to ply their scams in our district.”

Some examples of these schemes include:

• Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
• Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Malicious websites and apps that appear to share Coronavirus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
• Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.
• Medical providers obtaining patient information for COVID-19 testing and then using that information to fraudulently bill for other tests and procedures.

In a memorandum to U.S. Attorneys issued March 19, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen also directed each U.S. Attorney to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator to serve as the legal counsel for the federal judicial district on matters relating to the Coronavirus, direct the prosecution of Coronavirus-related crimes, and to conduct outreach and awareness activities.   The Northern District of California has appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney to be a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator who can be reached at 415-436-7200.

The NCDF can receive and enter complaints into a centralized system that can be accessed by all U.S. Attorneys, as well as Justice Department litigating and law enforcement components to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud schemes.  The NCDF coordinates complaints with 16 additional federal law enforcement agencies, as well as state Attorneys General and local authorities.

To find more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Violators can face one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office wants to remind all residents that price gouging is illegal while our community is under a State of Emergency from the emergence of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19.

Price gouging is when a retailer or seller is attempting to take unfair advantage of the public during an emergency by increasing prices in an unreasonable manner for essential consumer goods and services. California’s anti-price gouging statute, Penal Code Section 396, prohibits raising the price of many consumer goods and services by more than 10 percent after an emergency has been declared.

Members of the public are encouraged to report any instances of gouging to our Consumer Protection Unit by email at DA-ReportFraud@contracostada.org. Individuals may also fill out a consumer complaint form on our website. Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The DA’s Office is charged with enforcing this statute. Additional civil enforcement action may also be taken by our Office to protect consumers. The California Attorney General’s Office also issued information on price gouging during this emergency.

By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County District Attorney

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation, Human Trafficking Unit, is seeking the identity of the pictured subject related to an ongoing Human Trafficking investigation. Anyone with information regarding the identity of this subject is requested to contact Sr. Inspector Kevin Coelho at (925) 957-8629.

CHP had Highway 4 blocked in each direction backing up traffic on to Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch following a shooting in Antioch Wednesday afternoon. Photo by John Passur taken from the G Street overpass.

By CHP – Contra Costa

Today, Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at approximately 3:18pm, CHP was advised of a possible freeway shooting that occurred on HWY-4 westbound at L Street in Antioch. Upon CHP and emergency personnel arrival, the victim vehicle, a grey Volkswagen sedan, appeared to have bullet holes in it. The solo male victim from the Volkswagen was not injured and remained on scene. The suspect vehicle fled the area. Traffic backed up to Hillcrest Avenue as HWY-4 westbound was temporarily shut down and for the investigation and all traffic is being diverted off HWY-4 at L Street.

All lanes were reopened as of 5 pm.

This incident is still under investigation and we do not have any further details or information to release. If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact Contra Costa CHP in Martinez at 925-646-4980.

Suspect Daiveon Allison. Photo source unknown.

By Sergeant James Stenger #3604, Antioch Police Violent Crimes Unit (Investigations Bureau)

St. Patrick’s Day turned out to be a lucky day for the family of Jonathan Parker and Antioch Police. On March 17, 2020, the 15-year-old suspect, Daiveon Allison of Pittsburg wanted in the shooting death of the Deer Valley High student on Jan. 31, turned himself in with an attorney to Antioch Police Detectives and Deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service. The arranged surrender took place at the Oakland Police Department. The suspect was transported and booked into the Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall in Martinez.

Allison was identified by police to the public on Friday, March 13 over a month after the case was presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on but on February 7, 2020. Allison was charged in juvenile court with murder and having a firearm on school grounds. (See related article)

The shooting occurred in the Deer Valley High School parking lot following a basketball game against cross-town Antioch High School.

Jonathan Parker DVHS shooting victim posted on Instagram by chris27ul.

The Antioch Police Department would like to thank the public and U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance with this case.

According to one of Parker’s family members a wanted poster was created and a $10,000 reward was going to be offered for information that led to Daiveon’s whereabouts and arrest, using the funds from a GoFundMe effort. However that didn’t turn out to be necessary.

No further information will be released regarding this case.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Suspect Daiveon Allison. Photo from APD.

By Sergeant James Stenger #3604, Antioch Police Violent Crimes Unit (Investigations Bureau)

On Friday, Jan. 31, 2020 following a basketball game at Deer Valley High School against Antioch High School, 16-year-old Jonathan Parker, a DVHS student, was shot in the school’s parking lot. 15-year-old Pittsburg Resident, Daiveon Allison was identified as the shooter in this incident. On February 7, 2020 this case was presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Allison was charged in juvenile court with murder and having a firearm on school grounds. A warrant was issued for Allison’s arrest. (See related article)

It is believed Allison fled the area after this murder and is currently being sought by the Antioch Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. Allison should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached by the public. If anyone knows Allison’s whereabouts, or if he is seen please call 911 immediately. It is believed Allison may be receiving assistance in avoiding apprehension. Anyone associated with harboring Allison may be arrested for being an accessory to murder after the fact. This information is being released per Welfare and Institution Code 827.6.

On February 1, 2020, 16-Year-Old Jonathan Parker succumbed to his injuries and died at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Original News Release

On January 31, 2020 at about 8:44 PM, Antioch Police Department patrol officers were dispatched to the north parking lot of Deer Valley High School for shots being fired in the parking lot. A16-year-old male was located in the parking lot suffering from three gunshot wounds. The male was transported by ground to a local hospital and is currently in critical condition. It was determined the victim is a current student at Deer Valley High School.

At the time of the shooting there was a basketball game between Deer Valley and Antioch High Schools just letting out from the Deer Valley High School gym. A large group of juveniles started fighting in the parking lot when the shots were fired.

The Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau responded and took over this investigation. This investigation is in its infancy and a suspect has not been identified.

No further information will be released regarding this case at this time. Any further updates will come from the Antioch Police Department Investigations Bureau.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Smith at (925) 779-6876, or the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Screenshot from CCC Sheriff helicopter STAR 3 video of sideshow at Vasco and Marsh Creek Roads, Sunday night, March 7, 2020. Photo courtesy of Antioch Police.

Enforcement results in numerous arrests, 60 citations issued and 55 vehicles towed

By Sgt. Rick Smith, Antioch Police Field Services – Patrol

Information was developed that a large scale “sideshow” event was planned to occur in Eastern Contra Costa County on March 7, 2020. These events have been frequently occurring in the Bay Area and if not addressed by law enforcement they become out of control. These events are extremely dangerous due to the reckless driving that often leads to violence or subjects being severely injured while disrupting the lives of non-involved motorists and residents.

The Antioch Police Department reached out to surrounding law enforcement agencies for assistance in addressing this planned “sideshow” due to the anticipated size of the event and the various locations in Eastern Contra Costa County identified as possible locations of occurrence. The request was answered with officers being sent from all east county agencies to include the Brentwood Police Department, Oakley Police Department, Pittsburg Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Deputies from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office Air Operations also assisted by having Helicopter STAR 3 overhead in support.

A large “sideshow” event occurred with participants performing dangerous and reckless driving maneuvers in the intersection of Marsh Creek Road and Vasco Road. This is a heavily travelled area of roadway and participants used their vehicles to stop traffic in all directions while performing dangerous driving maneuvers. CCSO STAR 3 was overhead and was able to help responding units stop and arrest numerous participants.

Several of these participants did manage to escape arrest by driving at and around arriving officers on roadway shoulders and into oncoming lanes of traffic. Again, putting numerous citizens and officers in harm’s way. These participants went to other nearby areas and continued to take over intersections by performing dangerous and reckless driving maneuvers.

Thanks to CCSO STAR 3 overhead, several officers were able to break-up this second “Sideshow” event that was occurring along Vineyards Parkway in the City of Brentwood. Several participants were again stopped and arrested with their vehicles being towed.

Cars on Vineyard Parkway in Brentwood.

CCSO STAR 3 helped identify a third “sideshow” location on Balfour Road at American Avenue in the City of Brentwood. Arriving Officers located and arrested several more drivers with their vehicles again being towed.

Cars at Balfour Road and American Avenue in Brentwood.

This continued with a fourth “sideshow” taking place in the City of Antioch at the intersection of A Street and East 18th Street. Officers arrived as the participants were dispersing. Officers were able to identify the involved drivers and vehicles. More vehicles were stopped at various locations with the drivers being arrested and their vehicles being towed.

During these events, a motorcycle was involved and fled from officers when an enforcement stop was attempted. With the assistance of CCSO STAR 3, officers were able to follow the motorcycle safely and later located the rider. The rider was taken into custody with his motorcycle being subsequently towed and stored.

The remaining group of drivers then made their way into the City of Concord. The Concord Police Department was aware of what was occurring in the eastern end of the county. They were able to disperse the remaining participants from their city. After this last incident, it appears the participants stopped for the night and no other incidents were reported.

Nearly 60 citations were issued. 50 of the citations were for infield arrests for reckless driving offenses directly related to “sideshow” activity. This resulted in 55 vehicles being towed and stored. There were three other arrests as a result of this enforcement for charges of driving under the influence, felony evading, and a warrant arrest for robbery.

This type of reckless driving has become a regular occurrence in the Bay Area. It is an extreme danger to those involved and even more of a danger for the un-involved citizens who unfortunately become victims of the illegal activity. Due to the officers pro-actively addressing this issue, several of the involved drivers will now be without their vehicles for an extended period and will also be facing possible fines from the Courts. Officers in Contra Costa County will continue to address these incidents with zero tolerance.

As a reminder to those who choose to show off their driving skills, public roadways are not the proper venues for this type of behavior. There are sanctioned events and locations throughout the state that allow this type of driving. Often rewarding drivers for their skills while providing a safe environment to all.

This preliminary information is made available by the Community Policing Division. Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.

Antioch Police Officers inspect the Camaro that crashed into parked cars and whose driver fled on foot in Antioch, Friday night, March 6, 2020. Photo by APD.

Stolen car out of Pittsburg, dog detains donut driver in Antioch

Antioch Police K9 Officer Tzak after helping apprehend one of the suspects, Friday night, March 6, 2020. Photo by APD.

By Antioch Police Department

Score two for the good hounds.

Last night (Friday, March 6, 2020) our good friends over at Pittsburg PD called ahead on the horn to tell us they were chasing a stolen vehicle into Antioch on West 10th Street. Our officers, whose sole duty is to protect our city, said “Heck yeah, we won’t tolerate that here!” As we were scrambling a team of our finest night watch officers to help-out, the suspect must’ve sensed we were coming, and decided to test out his cardio skills against Pittsburg PD before we could get there. He soon found out not only does Pittsburg employ a bunch of track star officers, but they also had their loyal canine companion along with them (AKA “Man’s Best Friend”).

While all this was going on over on H Street, one of our officers was patrolling the businesses near Contra Loma and Buchanan when he saw an old school Camaro driving around in circles with the rear plate folded up so nobody could see it. The officer flipped on the red and blues to figure out what was going on, but the driver didn’t wanna chat, and instead drove the wrong way down L Street in an attempt to get away. Our coppers are way too smart for that kinda nonsense, and instead of engaging in a dangerous chase on the wrong side of the road, used the Motorola to alert other officers of what was going on.

A wave of blue uniforms flooded the area and found the Camaro crashed against some parked cars on West 5th Street a block away from our headquarters. The driver decided he wasn’t gonna wait around, and obviously knew what was coming, so he opted to hop, skip, and jump over fences into our neighbors’ backyards.

Swing watch officers, who were about to head home, poured out of the police station and joined our night watch on a containment perimeter. Officer Shipilov and his loyal canine sidekick Tzak arrived at the scene and began sniffing around. While doing so, the suspect thought it would be a good idea to go onto the roof of one of our fine resident’s houses, which in turn announced his location, and helped us locate him. He decided he wasn’t gonna go down easy, and Tzak (pictured below sticking his tongue out at the cameraman shortly afterwards) helped bring an end to his night of recklessness. Both bad guys were united at the County Jail, where they got to tell everyone not to mess around in Antioch or Pittsburg!

Our officers receive ongoing training and have strict policies when it comes to chasing vehicles. Our first priority is your safety, and we always weigh the risks versus rewards of chasing, against whether we can catch ‘em another way. We are thankful no innocent people were hurt in these incidents and the bad guys went to jail. We also appreciate the assistance of our awesome residents, both on H Street and West 5th/6th, while we looked for both suspects.

If you see Tzak on the streets, can you give him a “Good boooooy?”