Two Bakersfield brothers sentenced for duping EDD, defrauding hospitals

Two Bakersfield brothers were sentenced Monday for multiple fraud schemes, including submitting false claims to the California Employment Development Department and selling non-existent pets, horses and vehicles online.

Charles Abieanga, 31, obtained benefits from the state EDD and duped hospitals by impersonating as a seller of surgical gowns and N-95 protective masks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District. He was sentenced to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Simon Abieanga, 28, also submitted fake claims to the EDD and was sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Both brothers sold non-existent pets, horses and vehicles to victims online, a news release said.

Charles Abieanga was sentenced to five years and five months and ordered to pay $505,695 in restitution. Simon Abieanga was sentenced to three years and five months, while also required to pay $326,832.

A Bakersfield man was sentenced Monday to four years and nine months in prison for

using an individual’s personal information to open a brokerage account in the victim’s name and accessing this money, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District said.

Ramon Armendariz Jr., 35, used the victim’s personal bank accounts to fund the brokerage account and listed himself as an authorized check writer, a news release said.

The victim learned of the unauthorized transfers and told the bank, which then froze money in the brokerage account.

A pedestrian was killed Thursday after a car couldn’t avoid him and struck him on Wible

Road, the California Highway Patrol reported Monday.

A 57-year-old Bakersfield man was going 40 to 45 mph when he couldn’t swerve to avoid a pedestrian walking in a lane on Wible Road, the CHP wrote in a news release. The driver stayed at the scene while officers came to investigate, CHP added.

The pedestrian, whose identity has not been released, died at the scene.

Alcohol or drugs didn’t appear to factor into the collision, the news release said.

Those who may have more information about this case are asked to call the Bakersfield CHP office at 661-396-6600.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said Monday it is investigating the shooting

deaths of two people on Saturday in east Bakersfield.

Deputies went to the 4100 block of Lexington Avenue at 5:02 p.m. and found a man and woman who died from a gunshot wound, according to a news release.

No other information was released. KCSO asked anyone with information about this case to call 661-861-3110 or the Secret Witness line at 661-322-4040.

The Kern County coroner’s office identified a Palmdale man Monday who died in north

east Bakersfield.

Jose Antonio Contreras, 42, died at 2:45 a.m. Friday, the coroner said. Valeria Galvez, 36, has been arrested in connection to Contreras’ shooting death.

A man pleaded guilty Monday to selling fake pills laced with fentanyl to an undercover agent in Bakersfield and for trafficking 16 kilograms of drugs.

Luis Noe Hernandez Rojo sold about 2,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills with fentanyl to an officer in Bakersfield in August 2019. The 34-year-old Orange man was also caught driving to Fresno with seven kilograms of pills spiked with fentanyl, about two kilograms of fentanyl powder and seven kilograms of heroin to deliver to the same undercover agent later that year in December, said a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District.

Hernandez Rojo is scheduled to be sentenced July 17.

A Bakersfield man was identified Monday by the Kern County coroner’s office as a homi

cide victim who died on 34th and Q streets over the weekend.

Christopher Pudwill, 37, died at 12:50 a.m. Saturday at the scene, the coroner’s office said. Three people were arrested in connection to Pudwill’s death, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.

A Bakersfield man pleaded guilty Monday to selling methamphetamine from a local

smoke shop.

Abraham Eduardo Navarro Mendez, 39, was suspected of selling “large quantities of methamphetamine” from the Havana Smoke Shop, 3221 Niles St., according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District. Undercover officers paid $3,750 to Navarro Mendez, who then gave officers 2.5 pounds of meth, the news release said.

Navarro Mendez is scheduled to be sentenced July 17.

The Bakersfield Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations helped collect evidence in this case.

A woman was critically injured Sunday after she was shot in southwest Bakersfield,

according to police.

Bakersfield police officers went to the 5600 block of Ginger Drive at 6:32 a.m. after getting reports of a shooting and found a woman in the road with a gunshot wound, according to a news release.

Police didn’t release any information Monday about suspects. Anyone with information to help police may call BPD at 661-327-7111.

The Bakersfield Police Department is investigating an incident in which bullets struck

a vehicle while a woman pulled out of her driveway and a home on Sunday.

Officers went to the 3600 block of Ashe Road at 7:25 p.m. to investigate; the woman was not hurt.

BPD didn’t release any information concerning suspects and asked residents to call 661-327-7111 if they have information about what happened.

A 20-year-old Tehachapi woman who died after she lost control and her car overturned

was identified by the Kern County coroner’s office as Cindy Rosales.

Rosales died at 3:30 p.m. March 14 on Highway 58, east of Bealville Road.

A woman who was reported missing Saturday was found Monday, according to the

Bakersfield Police Department.

Joanna Alcala, 29, had last been seen Saturday in the 2300 block of Sandpiper Road.