Randy Economy: Maricela Barajas, Juliana Celeste Menefee: Diamond Bar Duo Pleads Today in Massive Ponzi Scheme

Media contact information for Randy Economy and Brian Hews and Los Cerritos Community Newspaper

Randy Economy and Brian Hews are "two of the best" Investigative Reporters in all of Southern California. They are responsible for uncovering the biggest 'political pay to pay scandal' in the HISTORY of Los Angeles County government, deep inside the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office. Randy and Brian's work has been featured on Fox News, NBC LA, CBS/KCAL, KTLK-AM 1150, The Mark Isler Show, The David Cruz Show, Univision Radio Network, KTLA News, Los Angeles Times, LA Daily News, KFI Talk Radio, KABC Talk Radio, KABC Eyewitness News and dozens of other media outlets across America. He is the On-Line Editor for Hews Media Group who publishes Los Cerritos Community Newspaper and the La Mirada Lamplighter. If you are interested in interviewing Randy and Brian for your news program, radio talk show, etc., drop an email to Randy@CerritosNews.net, or call 562 407-3873 during regular business hours. Thanks for all of your AMAZING SUPPORT and INTEREST! America's community newspapers are the BACK bone of a FREE MEDIA. Los Cerritos Community Newspaper can be found at www.loscerritosnews.net. Investigative Reporting is becoming a "lost art" here in the United States. Randy Economy and Brian Hews are determined to "keep politicians" on their toes and accountable.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Maricela Barajas, Juliana Celeste Menefee: Diamond Bar Duo Pleads Today in Massive Ponzi Scheme

on 4/23/2012 05:09:00 PM

What's THE REaction:

A very basic map of Los Angeles County in California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POMONA – Two Diamond Bar women charged with defrauding seven people out nearly $600,000 pleaded no contest today and were immediately sentenced to three years in county jail and ordered to repay the victims, the District Attorney’s office announced. Maricela Barajas, 42, whose true name is Maricela Torres, pleaded no contest to seven counts of securities fraud and was sentenced by Pomona Superior Court Judge Mike Camacho to three years in state prison, to be served in county jail, said Deputy District Attorney James Belna of the Major Fraud Division. Juliana Celeste Menefee, 51, also pleaded no contest to seven counts of securities fraud, but her case was heard in a different courtroom. She was sentenced by Pomona Superior Court Commissioner Wade Olson to three years in state prison, to be served in county jail. Belna said both women were ordered to pay a total of $590,000, or nearly $300,000 each, to the same seven victims whom they defrauded. Belna said Torres and Menefee, along with co-defendant Eva Perez, 52, told victims they were investing in a contract with the Alta Dena Dairy to sell milk exclusively to Disneyland. More than 30 people from throughout Los Angeles County invested between $2,000 to $100,000 with the three women and were promised extraordinary rates of return, Belna said. The three ran the large-scale Ponzi scheme between June 2008 to August 2010. Perez, who’s serving a 10-year state prison sentence after pleading guilty in San Bernardino County court in 2010 to the same scheme, pleaded no contest on April 19 to seven counts of securities fraud and one count of using a device to defraud. She was sentenced by Commissioner Olson to three years in state prison, to be served consecutively with her current prison sentence. Belna said Perez, the ringleader, was ordered to repay $1,037,225 in restitution.

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LISTEN TO RANDY ECONOMY AND BRIAN HEWS ON KFI TALK RADIO

Hews, Economy Featured on The Tim Conway Jr. Show on KFI

Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Publisher Brian Hews and Reporter Randy Economy were featured on KFI AM 640 on the Tim Conway Jr. Show on Thursday, October 17 to discuss the arrest of Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez, Property Tax Agent Ramin Salari and Assessor Major Property Appraiser Mark McNeil on dozens of felony charges. The segment was broadcast live to millions of listeners throughout the Western United States. LCCN will post additional interviews by Mr. Hews and Mr. Economy in the future.

WATCH: LCCN, Randy Economy featured on Fox News

Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic Los Cerritos Community Newspaper’s exclusive groundbreaking coverage into the corruption probe at the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office is now the focal point of a multi part series that began airing Wednesday night on Fox News 11 in Southern California. LCCN was the first media outlet to break the story about the massive criminal investigation that has now gripped the entire Los Angeles County Hall of Administration. “We thank Fox News for recognizing featuring Los Cerritos Community Newspaper in their coverage,” said Brian Hews, President and Publisher of Hews Media Group. “LCCN has been working with dozens of media outlets across the country on this massive scandal for the past eight months,” Hews said. Featured in this report is LCCN Investigative Reporter Randy Economy who tells about how the community newspaper was able to “piece the puzzle together” that has resulted in the arrest of one former property appraiser, and the recent departure of Assessor John Noguez on a “paid leave of absence.” Look for more segments on Fox News 11 during the next several days and weeks. Reporter Gina Silva is featured in this segment.

Randy Economy appears on NBC News Non Stop California with Colleen Williams

Randy Economy appears on California Non Stop with Colleen Williams from NBC News.

Randy Economy appeared on NBC New's Non Stop California in June, 2012. This is what NBC said about Randy and Los Cerritos Community Newspaper. "Los Cerritos Community Newspaper recently published hundreds of e-mails between Los Angeles County Assessor John R. Noguez and several property tax agents. The emails were obtained by the newspaper through a series of public document requests. This is the second set of documents published by the community newspaper that has been at the forefront of reporting and exposing the alleged pay to play activities between tax agents and Noguez for the past two years. Reporter Randy Economy joins Colleen Williams on Nonstop News LA to discuss how their investigation began on June 25, 2012.”

Brian Hews, Randy Economy on CBS 2 News KCAL 9 with Investigative Reporter Dave Bryan

5,100,000 READERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, BABY!

This is WHERE my READERS ARE during the past few weeks. So, let me know what you want me to blog about. Drop me a note to Randy@CerritosNews.net. Also visit Los Cerritos Community News, where Randy is the On-Line Editor and Reporter at www.loscerritosnews.net Thousands of new readers each and everyday are clicking on to read more about the "Real World Around Us." Randy is also the On-Line Editor and Reporter for Los Cerritos Community News in Southern California. Visit Los Cerritos Community News at www.loscerritosnews.net YOU ARE READER #

More about Randy Economy...

Randy Economy is "one of the best" Investigative Reporters in all of Southern California, according to dozens of professional journalists.

Randy is responsible for uncovering the biggest 'political pay to pay scandal' in the HISTORY of Los Angeles County government, deep inside the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office. Randy and his work have been featured on Fox News, NBC LA, CBS/KCAL, KTLK-AM 1150, The Mark Isler Radio Show, The David Cruz Show, The Fernando Espuelas Show, The John and Ken Show, The Univision Radio Network, KTLA News, Los Angeles Times, LA Daily News, KABC Talk Radio, Eyewitness News and dozens of other media outlets across America.

He is the On-Line Editor for Hews Media Group who publishes Los Cerritos Community Newspaper and the La Mirada Lamplighter in Southeast Los Angeles County each week to more than 45,000 households.

Randy and his Publisher Brian Hews will be nominated for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2013 because of their efforts.

Hear Randy Economy on Univision Radio with Fernando Espuelas

Randy Economy has appeared on several radio talk shows, including on Univision Radio's very popular Fernando Espuelas Show. This was taped during the week of May 26, 2012 and talks about the corruption inside the Los Angeles County Assessor's Office and the campaign in the 57th California State Assembly race in the 2012 California June Primary. If you are interested in having Randy on your radio talk show, or television news program as a commentator, please drop Randy a note at Randy@CerritosNews.net. Or, feel free to call Randy at 562 743-0882.