CASE OF INTEREST

Contact: Lana Wyant, Special Assistant Deputy District Attorney
(916) 874-5907

District Attorney Gives $77,000 in Restitution to the Community

District Attorney Jan Scully announced today that during a presentation before the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors this morning, she disbursed monies totaling $77,000 to various agencies, programs and organizations that serve the members of our community.

The District Attorney's Community Prosecution Unit, along with other dedicated county employees from Central Operations Project; which includes the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, Code Compliance, Building, Fire and Environmental Management; work hard to improve the quality of life in Sacramento. Through this partnership, the investigation and prosecution of defendants who own run down hotels, substandard rental properties, and nuisance properties, results in restitution funds for the very agencies that serve the members of the community who have been impacted by the defendants prosecuted.

The restitution monies presented today was generated from the prosecution of four recent cases. In People v. Bernard, Bernard and Kearns $13,000 in restitution was collected from the lessors of the former South Pointe Inn on 47th Avenue. The property was extremely neglected, had no heating, and was generating about $800.00 per month in rents for a single room. In People v. Jalarum Krupa owners of the River City Motel paid $25,000 in costs and restitution. The run-down motel had been used as a haven for drug dealing and prostitution. In the prosecution of James Wheeler, the owner of numerous substandard rental properties, Mr. Wheeler was ordered to pay $14,000 for victim restitution, in addition to performing community service and paying fines and fees. Lastly, Gary Perez was prosecuted for maintaining a nuisance property where he housed thirteen families. Mr. Perez was ordered to pay $25,000 as restitution for his criminal conduct.

All of the community based organizations that received checks today do wonderful work out in our community everyday. A breakdown of the distribution of restitution funds is attached.

Recipients of Community Prosecution Funds

People v. Bernard et al (Southpointe) $13,000
$10,000- Mustard Seed School
Surveillance camera- Volunteers in Policing (VIPS)

People Vs. Jalarum Krupa (River City Motel) $25,000
$9,000- Sacramento Sheriff's Department (costs)
$2,200- Sacramento County Code Enforcement (costs)
$5,800- Fruit Ridge Elementary School
$3,000- Oak Ridge Elementary School
$4,000- CARES- Colonial Park Arts and Recreational Effort
$1,000-Fruitridge/ Pocket Neighborhood Association

People v. James Wheeler $14,000
$5,000- Women's Wellspring Center
$9,000- Asian Resources

People Vs. Gary Perez $25,000
$700- Fruit Ridge Elementary School
$1,500- Pacific Elementary School
$10,000- Works in New Directions (WIND)
$10,000- Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center

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