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South Bay Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Investment Scam and for Selling House Bought with Illicit Proceeds

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South Bay Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Investment Scam and for Selling House Bought with Illicit Proceeds

LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man was sentenced Nov. 10, to 97 months in federal prison for defrauding Asian investment firms out of $14 million by falsely claiming the money would be used to produce a feature film distributed by Netflix, then, while out on bond, illegally selling the Manhattan Beach house he purchased with his ill-gotten gains by forging the signatures of his victims’ lawyers.

Adam Joiner, 43, of Manhattan Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $14 million in restitution. Joiner pleaded guilty in October 2019 to one count of wire fraud and, in December 2019, to an additional count of wire fraud.

Joiner used fake documents and forged signatures to raise millions of dollars from foreign investment firms based in South Korea and China for a movie project he said would be called “Legends” and would depict American folklore icons such as Paul Bunyan and John Henry. But Joiner’s “representations proved to be as fictitious as the legendary figures his film was supposed to depict,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed with the court.

Joiner, who operated a company called Dark Planet Pictures, LLC, defrauded Korea Investment Global Contents Fund, a South Korean investment fund whose assets are managed by Korean Investment Partners Co. Ltd., which suffered $8 million in losses. Joiner also defrauded a Chinese investment firm called Star Century Pictures Co. Ltd., and its affiliate PGA Yungpark Capital Ltd., which invested $6 million into “Legends.”

After signing his plea agreement but before he entered his guilty plea in this case, Joiner in October 2019 sold his Manhattan Beach house he had purchased with the proceeds of his fraud. Before doing so, he fraudulently removed the liens his victims had placed on the house by filing documents bearing the forged signatures of attorneys who represented the victims. Caught again, Joiner entered an additional guilty plea to wire fraud in December 2019.

As part of the case, the government seized $5,572,581 from accounts belonging to Joiner, $4 million of which has already been returned to KIGCF.

The FBI investigated this matter.

Bars, Lounges, and Nightclubs Have High Compliance with Vaccine Verifications

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Bars, Lounges, and Nightclubs Have High Compliance with Vaccine Verifications

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health inspectors continue to visit businesses across the county daily to ensure compliance with required safety measures, including masking guidelines and vaccination verification; provide technical assistance; and respond to complaints of non-compliance.

Between Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, 93% of bars, 94% of nightclubs, and 100% of lounges inspected were in compliance with customer vaccination verification requirements. Over the same time period, inspectors noted the overall majority of businesses were in compliance with safety requirements. However, only 68% of garment manufacturers, 67% of office sites, 80% of nightclubs, 82% of lounges, and 85% of bars were in compliance with employee masking.

From Oct. 30 through Nov. 5, a total of six citations were issued to businesses including gyms, schools, and a restaurant for noncompliance with Health Officer Orders. A list of non-compliant businesses that received citations can be found online. Violations of safety requirements and dangerous conditions can be reported anonymously to Public Health by phone at 888-700-9995 or online at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov .

Public Health Nov. 10, confirmed 11 new deaths and 1,174 new cases of COVID-19. The number of deaths reported is an undercount due to a technical problem with reporting. Of the 11 new deaths reported Nov. 10, three people who died were over the age of 80, three people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 29. To date, Public Health has identified 1,504,843 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,762 deaths.

There are 630 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 27% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 9,180,000 individuals, with 15% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.3%.

Details: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

LA County Releases Largest Number of Reported Hate Crimes in 12 Years

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LA County Releases Largest Number of Reported Hate Crimes in 12 Years

LA County releases Annual Report on Hate Crimes: Largest Number of Reported Hate Crimes in 12 Years

The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations or LACCHR Nov. 10, released its annual analysis of hate crimes reported throughout Los Angeles County in calendar year 2020.

Since 1980, LACCHR has compiled, analyzed, and produced this annual report of hate crime data submitted by over 100 law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and community-based organizations. The total of all reported hate crimes in Los Angeles County grew 20% from 530 to 635. LACCHR and its partners have worked to prevent hate in L.A. County, including with the launch of the L.A. vs Hate initiative in 2020.

To view the complete report, including hate crime maps, graphs, and tables, please click here. For specific race/ethnicity data and examples, please click here for anti-African American hate crimes, click here for anti-Latino/a hate crimes, and click here for anti-Asian hate crimes.

The report’s significant findings include the following:

  • The 635 hate crimes reported in the County were the largest number recorded since 2008. Hate crimes have grown 65% since hitting an all-time low in 2013.
  • The 20% increase in hate crime was largely due to a 53% spike in racial crimes. Crimes targeting African Americans, Latino/as, whites, and Asians all rose dramatically. This is the largest numeric and percentage increase since 2003.
  • Racist crimes constituted 61% of all hate crimes, compared to 48% the previous year. Once again, African Americans were grossly overrepresented: although African Americans constitute only 9% of County residents, they comprised 42% of racial crime victims. Anti-black crimes jumped 35% from 125 to 169. Latino/as comprised 26% of racial victims and anti-Latino/a crimes rose 58% from 67 to 106. Anti-white crimes surged 127% from 22 to 50 and made up 12% of the total. Crimes targeting Asians grew 76% from 25 to 44 and Asians comprised 11% of racial victims.
  • Crimes in which suspects used specifically anti-immigrant slurs grew 14% from 49 to 56, the largest number ever recorded.
  • Sexual orientation crimes grew 17% from 104 to 122, and were 18% of all hate crimes. Eighty-four percent of these crimes targeted gay men.
  • Religious-motivated offenses declined 18% from 105 to 86 and made up 13% of all hate crimes. The Jewish community was targeted in 88% of these cases.
  • After reaching a record number the previous year, anti-transgender crimes declined 24% from 42 to 32. This remained the third largest count ever reported.
  • Sixty-eight percent of hate crimes were of a violent nature, the largest proportion since 2003. Transgender victims experienced the highest rate of violence (94%), followed by homophobic (83%), racial (72%), and religious crimes (23%).
  • The largest number of hate crimes took place in the Metro Service Planning Area, which stretches from West Hollywood to Boyle Heights, followed by the San Fernando Valley region. However, if one compares the populations of the areas to the numbers of reported hate crimes, the Metro region had the highest rate, followed by the Western region (which includes parts of West L.A., Beverly Hills, Culver City, and a number of beach communities).
  • After jumping 38% in 2019, white supremacist crimes remained elevated at 119, the largest number since 2009. They comprised 19% of all hate crimes.
  • Hate crimes committed by gang members numbered 32, the same as the previous year. Seventy-six percent were racial and the majority targeted African Americans.

In response to the rise in hate, the Board of Supervisors had previously directed LACCHR to build a multi-year campaign to prevent and respond to acts of hate in the County, which resulted in the L.A. vs Hate initiative. The initiative has three components: (1) a community-driven marketing campaign to encourage residents and organizations to unite against and report acts of hate; (2) the first government hotline (via 211) for reporting acts of hate and providing assistance to hate victims; and (3) a network of community agencies that provide rapid response, support and advocacy, and hate prevention services. Since launching in June 2020, L.A. vs Hate content has been viewed over 468 million times and has been shared over 88 million times. Since September 2019, when L.A. vs. Hate and 211 began accepting calls to report hate, L.A. vs. Hate has received more than 1,400 reports.

Details: click here.

 

LA County Names Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development

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LA County Names Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development

The County of Los Angeles Nov. 4, appointed Kelly LoBianco as executive director of economic and workforce development for the LA County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services or WDACS.

The appointment of LoBianco is a milestone of the Board of Supervisors’ creation of a new LA County Department of Economic and Workforce Development by Fall 2022. At that time, LA County will also create a new department dedicated to aging and disabled adults and community services. The new departments will optimize and align services, so the County can address the economic mobility and security of its residents while meeting the needs of rapidly growing populations of older adults and adults with disabilities.

LoBianco will oversee the newly created Economic and Workforce Development Branch under the WDACS umbrella. The branch unites services previously performed by four different agencies within the County, including workforce development, strategic economic development and advocacy, and small business assistance and growth. As Executive Director, LoBianco will play a central role in the County’s equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

LoBianco has more than 15 years of public sector experience at the federal, state and local levels. She has served as the chief program officer for the HOPE Program and Sustainable South Bronx in New York City. She has held executive roles with the New York City Department of Small Business Services, including Assistant Commissioner and Executive Director of Training and Sector Initiatives for the Workforce Development Division.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/whsnsnyt

Carson Marks Veteran’s Day With a Celebration

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Carson Marks Veteran’s Day With a Celebration

The City of Carson will join the entire nation in paying tribute to America’s war veterans as the city hosts its annual Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 11.

The celebration will take place at Veterans Park. The event is free and open to the public.

Event highlights include a special recognition to veterans and soldiers currently serving in wars around the world. Traditional military rites including a flag folding ceremony will also be observed as part of the tribute. In addition, new names that were added to the City of Carson’s Veterans’ Wall will be presented during the event.

This year’s special guest and keynote speaker is retired LTC John R. Williams, who served as a U.S. Army Regiment Deputy Commander in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

The event will also include patriotic music, veteran information booths, veteran museum display, live entertainment, ROTC and Carson High School band.

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Cost: Free

Details: Recreation and Human Services Division, 310-847-3570

Venue: Veterans Park, 22400 Moneta Ave. Carson

Strength and Love, The City of Angels’ COVID-19 Memorial

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Strength and Love, The City of Angels’ COVID-19 Memorial

During the pandemic. COVID-19 showed us that communities across Los Angeles are united — in a city as vast as ours we still found ways to step up and support each other.

Now, to commemorate this collective experience, Los Angeles is launching a 3-day virtual event: Strength and Love, The City of Angels’ COVID-19 Memorial.

The memorial will be held Nov. 18, through Nov. 20, to:

  • HONOR those who held the city together, including first responders, essential workers, small businesses owners, community organizations, caregivers, neighbors, and families.
  • REMEMBER those we have lost to the pandemic.
  • MOBILIZE to give back to our communities and work together to build a stronger and more resilient city.

This memorial will provide an opportunity to reflect on how we have been impacted, recognize the resiliency within our communities, and find ways to connect and mobilize for a better future. Learn more about the memorial at LAMayor.org/COVIDMemorial.

Here are few ways that you can participate:

  • Join the nightly activations at 8 p.m.
    • Day 1, Honor: Clap for L.A.’s heroes outside with your friends and neighbors.
    • Day 2, Remember: Light a candle in your window.
    • Day 3, Mobilize: Wave a flashlight or phone light outside to make L.A. shine.
  • Light up Los Angeles! From Nov. 18-20, look up to see iconic buildings and landmarks lit up blue to mark the Strength and Love Memorial, including Los Angeles City Hall, Sofi Stadium, Dodger Stadium, the Grand Park Fountain and many more!
  • Support the Strength and Love COVID-19 Memorial by displaying a FREE poster and sharing the social media graphics available in our digital toolkit. You can download posters and social media graphics here.
  • Visit the memorial installation at the Griffith Observatory. A white flag installation will be placed at the front lawn to commemorate the lives lost in L.A. County. It will be open to the public all three days of the memorial.
  • Contribute to the Los Angeles Public Library’s COVID-19 Community Archive. Share your stories, photos, artwork, or any images that represent your experience during this time. Submit here.
  • Share your thoughts on the plans for a permanent COVID-19 Memorial. Complete the survey.

Don’t forget to post online using #StrengthandLoveLA!

Details: LAMayor.org/COVIDMemorial

CSU Dominguez Hills Ushers in New Era for University

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CSU Dominguez Hills Ushers in New Era for University

This past October, California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) hosted four simultaneous ribbon cuttings, three of which were on major capital project buildings totaling more than $200 million. The grand openings marked the biggest transformation of the campus in more than a decade, and the first additions of brand-new academic facilities in more than 20 years.

Several hundred employees, students, alumni, and community leaders came out to celebrate the growth of campus and tour the new buildings. Prior to the simultaneous ribbon cuttings, tours of the new facilities highlighted the buildings’ cutting-edge technology and thoughtful architectural details, designed to maximize learning and engagement for CSUDH students and the surrounding community.

In the 91,000 square foot Science and Innovation Building ($67.85 million), which houses chemistry, biology, and physics programs, they saw the Toyota Center for Innovation in STEM Education (CISE) at work. The center, created thanks to a $4 million donation from the Toyota USA Foundation, includes a fabrication lab, SMART classrooms, and labs for K-12 teacher demonstrations. CISE students led 3D printing and design workshops for schoolchildren from Point Fermin Elementary and Fleming Middle School, while models by Toro students displayed the creative possibilities afforded by the technology.

Guests also visited the Innovation and Instruction Building ($83.5 million), a 107,600 square foot, four-story structure housing the College of Business Administration and Public Policy. Slated to open for classes in Spring 2022, the building includes a 250-seat auditorium for symposia, collaborative learning classrooms, distance learning spaces, event spaces, and offices.

The 506-bed Student Resident Housing ($55.87 million) complex was also on display. Adorned with eight 47-foot-high murals by L.A. artist iris yirei hu, the colorful site opened in Fall 2021.

Students in the CSUDH Esports Association showed off their skills at the fourth location, near the future site of the Esports Incubator Lab. As part of a strategic partnership with CSUDH, ViewSonic is providing furnishings and technology for the lab, which will be the first to be held in a university library and will include a broadcasting and shoutcasting booth, competition stage, and classroom.

Following the tours, guests heard remarks from university and government representatives, including the CSUDH president, the CSU chancellor, and CSUDH alumnus State Senator Steven Bradford, as well as prerecorded remarks by Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and Assemblymember Mike Gipson.

All emphasized CSUDH’s role as an academic powerhouse and a longtime bastion of upward mobility for Los Angeles’ underserved communities.

Details: csudh.edu/transformation.

Facebook Users Going on Strike

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Facebook Users Going on Strike

The Facebook Logout Starts Nov.10, ends Nov. 13

Over the past few weeks, journalists have broken story after story based on leaked documents from within Facebook, detailing wide ranging abuses from mental health impacts on teens to widespread indifference to hate speech and violent incitement.

The company had mountains of evidence that the platform was directly harming people. And time and again, company leadership chose to put profit above public safety, sacrificing its users in pursuit of maximal profits.

Facebook Users Union started because it believes that fed-up Facebook users can demand, and win, significant changes in how Facebook does business that will make the platform less toxic and less dangerous, and change the norms across the social media landscape.

We deserve better, safer social media.

It is clear that Facebook cares about its users’ engagement – clicks, comments, shares – more than anything else – more than democracy, health, or our safety.

That’s why Facebook Users Union is joining Kairos and other partners for the Facebook Logout on Nov. 10-13.

The advertising money that pours into Facebook comes from its uncanny ability to deliver its users clicks, likes, comments and shares by using personal information to target content. But we can turn off the spigot.

Log out of Facebook and Instagram next week on November 10 and join the Facebook Logout user strike.

To logout of Facebook, leave a post on your timeline saying you are going on strike and then hit the logout button in the upper right corner of your profile page.

We already know and have experienced how Facebook has operated without any meaningful oversight and, as a result, has continued to be a catalyst for hate and violence both domestically and abroad.

It’s time that we hold Facebook directly accountable.

Tito Jackson Cast His Spell on the New Blues Fest

Melina Paris
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Tito Jackson Cast His Spell on the New Blues Fest

The headliner of the Long Beach New Blues Festival is … Tito Jackson? At age 68, with his professional musical career at 57 years and counting and an inductee into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame since 1997, most of his fans have never thought of him as a bluesman. But this story tells us that he has been a loving practitioner of the genre for decades.

“I always said my next album, for sure, is going to be a blues album,” Jackson said in a recent interview with Random Lengths. “My performances always had deep blues roots in it. I’m a lover of blues. My father always played it and we had blues in our show prior to Motown. We did about four or five blues songs as The Jackson 5 and my mom loved blues more than anyone. So I started trying to make a solo career with the blues in about 2000-2001. This is just a continuation of my journey.”

Jackson wants to introduce blues music, which he noted is responsible for many of the music genres we have today, to a wider, younger audience.

“The blues need a hand up,” Jackson said. “[For] more of the popular artists, it wouldn’t hurt to do a blues song or two on their albums. It would be a great thing and push the blues up because artists don’t get the notoriety that pop and R&B artists get. It all started with the blues and I’m pretty sure if these artists did the blues, we could get some new audiences. … Just a song, like some … on my album, All In The Family Blues, Love One Another, or Under Your Spell. Those have blues tones in them.

“That’s one of my main motivations because I love the music and … to present it to my fan base is a good thing. Blues isn’t always [the] sad music that people claim it to be. All blues isn’t sad.”

Jackson co-wrote many of the songs on Under Your Spell with his partner Michael Jackson, who just happens to have the same name as his brother. Jackson also did some of the songs’ solos and says he’s very pleased with the outcome.

“It puts me in a happy mood,” he said. “It’s more uplifting than down and I can’t wait to get out and perform these songs.”

The New Blues Festival VIII, the only year-ending blues festival in Southern California, will happen at Shoreline Aquatic Park, Nov. 13.

“This is the eighth New Blues Festival, the sixth in Long Beach, and the first time the New Blues Festival will be held in the prime entertainment destination of Shoreline Aquatic Park,” festival promoter and curator, Bill Grisolia said.

The City of Long Beach approached The New Blues Festival team about moving the event to this destination park.

“We are thrilled!” Grisolia said via email. “It is outrageously beautiful … with views of the Queen Mary and the fantastic boat traffic including Long Beach Transit and the Catalina Express.”

The ever-enthusiastic host of the New Blues Festival described the coveted location. The tip of the peninsula is located directly across from the famous Parker’s lighthouse restaurant at Shoreline Village. And on the other side of the peninsula, is Rainbow Harbor including all the fantastic pleasurecraft, restaurants, and the jewel of Rainbow Harbor, which is the Aquarium of the Pacific. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Grisolia added that fans will see the New Blues Festival in less than a year after it chooses another day in collaboration with the city. This was the third date the city provided after the first two were changed because of COVID and rescheduling.

“We are so happy to provide the residents of Southern California with a great blues festival to launch the holiday season!” Grisolia said.

Mr. Jackson

Tito Jackson will be playing his brand of “modern electric blues” and soul featured on his recent album, Under Your Spell.

In July, Jackson released the single Love One Another featuring his brother Marlon, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush, and Stevie Wonder. The Love One Another music video features the cameos of his mother Katherine and his sister Janet. The album Under Your Spell released in August is Jackson’s second solo studio album. Remarkably, Jackson said, the album came together because of COVID.

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“I was able to get in touch with people and they weren’t busy,” Jackson said.

Tribute to BB King

The guitar player and singer said he started the albums’ B.B. King track, Rock Me Baby,\, a tribute to the blues legend, prior to COVID. Jackson said both B.B. King’s daughter, Claudette, and George Benson participated in the project. Benson’s guitar playing, always unmistakable, is a sound to savor.

From about 2017 to 2019, Jackson was the frontman for the B.B. King Blues Band. The outfit headed to Reno to do a casino show and traveled through Scottsdale, Arizona. Their stage manager was friends with Benson. Jackson and Benson also worked together in Las Vegas.

“We hoped to work together again someday,” Jackson said. “That rarely happens but thanks to Rob [manager] on our way to Reno, he told George we were coming through. George invited us to his place for lunch on the way to Reno. We told him about our project and trying to do a tribute song to B.B. He volunteered without any hesitation and we went into the studio, he played his part and we had a song, [Rock Me Baby].

“Joe Bonamassa’s was the last song [Under Your Spell] that we added to that record. We listened to it and thought it would be nice to have something about what’s going on in today’s world with the situation America went through [on] Jan 6 and even before that.”

Jackson noted the album is being considered for a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary album and for Best Grass Roots for Love One Another. To record, the musicians sent tracks back and forth and had many telephone conversations and Facetime sessions.

This is Jackson’s sophomore album. He had planned to do a blues album for his debut, Tito Time, [2016] but he said after reviewing his fan base at the time, he decided it would be better to go more toward the music he was accustomed to doing with his brothers.

Festival Lineup

An eclectic lineup will set the stage for a memorable New Blues fest at a landmark location. Artists include:

Sugar Ray Rayford;

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LA blues guitar great, Laurie Morvan;

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Bill Grisolia & the New Blues Festival All-Stars;

New Orleans transplant and blues guitarist, Lester Lands;

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multi-genre guitarist-vocalist, Corday;

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Eclectic blues-rock trio, The Disciplez;

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She Wears Black featuring Long Beach’s very own blues diva, Shy But Flyy;

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Tex-Mex Blues from Redd House;

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Musician/Surfboard Shaper/SoCal Surf Legend, Dano Forte;

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and blues harp player TJ Norton.

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This year’s Master of Ceremonies: Southern California blues deejay legend, Ann The Raven, formerly of KPCC-FM.

New Blues Festival

Time: 9 a.m.
Cost: $50 and up
Details: www.newbluesfestival.com and www.titojackson.com
Venue: Shoreline Aquatic Park, 200 Aquarium Way, Long Beach

Telemarketing Preys on Seniors

Lyn Jensen
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Telemarketing Preys on Seniors

My mother is still alive on countless telemarketing lists, whether from robocalls or human salespersons. It’s bad enough I get calls for “Madeline” (or my father “Dale” whose name remains on accounts, too). Some junk accounts mangle my mother’s name into “Modelo” or Modello” or “Modelho.” I explain there’s no such person here and please “remove this number from your call list” only to soon get another one.

Other calls come for “John(ny)” and to make a long story short, no “John(ny)” has been near my home’s phone for the entire twenty-first century. I say, “No John(ny) here, please remove us from your call list,” and but the barrage just keeps on coming.

Some robocalls pitch dubious Medicare options or claim a healthcare professional has recommended me for a medical alert system or say, “Thank you for choosing” a hotel chain I never chose. Others seek to panic me about a non-existent charge on my Amazon account or extend my auto warranty. (One of those has been giving me “final notice” for two years.) Dealing with this flood of nuisance calls is one more battle my mother left me to fight alone. Whether I don’t answer the call, or answer the phone and ask to be removed from the list, or go through the hassle of placing my home phone number on a do-not-call registry, the junk-call horse is out of the barn.

I suspect some calls can’t be controlled by a do-not-call list. One example is ghoulish, real estate predators who want to talk to my mother about her property in probate. The caller obviously doesn’t understand if a person’s property is in probate — a fairly clear indication that the person is dead. I’m supposed to do business with someone so clueless — or crooked?

Then there are more obvious crooks, including calls that pretend to be from the IRS or some such authority, threatening to make you pay up—it’s easy to see how a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s could fall for such a set-up.

My mother, her mind clouded by dementia, spent hours on the phone with callers who claimed they wanted to perform maintenance inside her computer. I’d try to explain such calls were from identity thieves, trying to scam her by getting information in her computer, and she should just hang up.

“I don’t have anything on my computer!” she’d bellow. She was a victim of identity theft, though—some racket counterfeited her driver’s license, and she had no idea how they targeted her. The crime may have started with a look inside her computer, showing her to be an easy mark.

Obviously, a patient with Alzheimer’s or dementia can’t be expected to understand such calls—and could sign up for six “extended auto warranties” in one day or hand whole bank accounts to fraudsters. Relatives and caregivers have enough challenges without hassling junk calls.

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