Dave Minsky

1 month ago | santamariatimes.com | Dave Minsky

A former financial advisor from Santa Maria was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Los Angeles federal county on Monday after pleading guilty to a count of fraud in connection to a scheme in which she stole more than $2 million from elderly clients. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II handed down the sentence to Julie Ann Darrah, 52, during a hearing in Los Angeles court, ordering her to serve 121 months in federal prison after she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in March.

1 month ago | santamariatimes.com | Dave Minsky

A San Luis Obispo developer filed a Superior Court lawsuit against Santa Barbara County earlier this month, alleging officials are blocking an Orcutt mixed-use project through politics and personal animus in violation of California law.

2 months ago | santamariatimes.com | Dave Minsky

The California Attorney General’s Office on Monday urged a state appellate court to reject a bid to overturn a jury verdict finding Paul Flores guilty of murdering Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, saying all claims he makes in his appeal are “meritless.”In his brief filed in the California Second Appellate District, Deputy Attorney General Michael C. Keller said that Flores received a fair trial and urged the court to uphold his first-degree murder conviction following a jury trial in 2022.

2 months ago | santamariatimes.com | Dave Minsky

A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Chinese citizen to one year of probation and time served for a misdemeanor charge related to flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in November. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter sentenced Yinpiao Zhou during a hearing in Los Angeles federal court, after Zhou pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of violating national defense airspace in a deal with prosecutors.

Mar 26, 2025 | santamariatimes.com | Dave Minsky

A California state appellate court sided with four-by-four enthusiasts Monday in a ruling against the Coastal Commission’s ban on off-roading at Oceano Dunes, saying the agency exceeded its authority by unilaterally amending a permit that authorized such activity decades ago. Writing the three-judge panel opinion issued by California’s Second Appellate District, Judge Hernaldo J.