Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/644928
NOAHBERGER—THEASSOCIATEDPRESSFILE California state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, leaves federal court in San Francisco. BySudhinThanawala The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Afederal judge sentenced former California state senator Leland Yee on Wednesday to five years in prison after he acknowledged in a plea deal that he accepted thou- sands of dollars in bribes and discussed helping an undercover FBI agent buy automatic weapons from the Philippines. Senior District Court Judge Charles Breyer called the weapons allegations against Yee — a gun control advocate —unfathomable and said it was frightening that Yee would be willing to go entirely against his pub- lic position on guns in ex- change for money. "I don't feel I should be lenient," Breyer said during the hearing. "The crimes that you committed have resulted in essentially an attack on democratic in- stitutions." Still, Breyer's sentence fell on the low end of guide- lines that called for a prison term of between four years and 9 months and six years. Prosecutors had recom- mended an eight-year sen- tence. Yee's attorneys had called for no more than five years and three months be- hind bars, saying Yee had a history of public service and his wife was ill. Yee, 67, told the judge be- fore sentencing that he had accepted responsibility for his crimes and wanted to take care of his disabled wife. "Nothing will ever take away those crimes and those actions," he said. "Nothing that I will ever do will take away the pain that I have caused to my family friends, constitu- ents, supporters." Yee has been free pend- ing sentencing. Breyer or- dered him to surrender in 30 days. Yee and his attor- ney declined comment out- side the courtroom. Yee is a long-time politi- cian who also served in the state Assembly and on the San Francisco Board of Su- pervisors. He pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy to engage in racketeering. The charge was filed as part of an organized crime investigation in San Fran- cisco's Chinatown that led to charges against more than two dozen people. The probe also snared Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, a flamboyant leader of a Chinese fraternal orga- nization — the Ghee Kung Tong. Federal agents say one of Chow's associates was Keith Jackson, a former San Francisco school board president and well-known political consultant who raised money for Yee's un- successful mayoral run in 2011 and his bid for secre- tary of state. Ex-senator sentenced in racketeering case SAN FRANCISCO The Associated Press WASHINGTON Inmates wanted for deportation when they are released from federal prison will be turned over to U.S. immi- gration authorities rather than local law enforce- ment agencies with out- standing warrants, Attor- ney General Loretta Lynch announced Wednesday. The policy change comes less than a year af- ter the fatal shooting of Kate Steinle, 32, in San Francisco by an immigrant who was on the streets af- ter local police ignored a request from federal au- thorities to hold him for deportation proceedings. The change announced by Lynch in testimony be- fore a House Appropria- tions subcommittee calls for the Bureau of Pris- ons to first give Immigra- tion and Customs Enforce- ment the option to take in- mates facing deportation into custody. She said lo- cal law enforcement agen- cies could still get the im- migrant for prosecution on other crimes, "but we would have to have assur- ances that ICE would also then be able to get the in- dividual back." Steinle was shot by Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez as she walked on a pier with her father. Lopez- Sanchez, who had been de- ported five times, was sent to San Francisco after be- ing released from federal prison because local au- thorities had a warrant. They decided not to prose- cute him and released him. Lopez-Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to sec- ond-degree murder and other charges. He said the shooting was accidental. The case focused atten- tion on immigrant-friendly communities with policies calling for local authorities to not cooperate with fed- eral immigration officials. San Francisco's newly elected sheriff, Vicki Hen- nessy, said she needs de- tails on how the policy will be enforced. Specifically, Hennessy wants to know which type of inmates fed- eral immigration officials plan on picking up. Hen- nessy was elected in No- vember and sworn in last month. Rep. John Culberson, a Texas Republican, said the change announced by Lynch along with in- creased pressure on cities and counties to cooperate with ICE to access federal grant funding is critical. "Had that policy been in effect last summer Kate Steinle would still be alive," said Culberson, who chairs the subcommittee. Jessica Vaughan, di- rector of policy studies at the Center for Immigra- tion Studies, which wants tougher enforcement of immigration laws, wel- comed the change but said the challenge is ensuring that suspects don't evade prosecution for serious crimes because they're be- ing deported. Local pros- ecutors will need to be forceful when they want someone turned over, Vaughan said. Jessica Bansal, litigation director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said she didn't think the shift would af- fect too many cases, but it would require better com- munication between those working in the immigra- tion and criminal justice systems. ICE had no immediate comment on the change. WASHINGTON Feds will get priority on inmates released News feed SACRAMENTO Butte County is abandoning a plan to use inmate wel- fare funds to help pay for a new jail. The county wanted to use $685,000 from a fee on jail commissary items and inmate phone calls as part of its financial match for $40 million in construction funding from the state. It reconsidered after the American Civil Liberties Union and members of the Board of State and Com- munity Corrections said the proposal sent a bad message and might be il- legal. The board approved the grant in November but encouraged the county to find an alternative. County supervisors voted this week to use lo- cal law enforcement assis- tance funds instead. The state is giving a to- tal of $500 million to 15 counties to pay for con- struction projects in- tended to help rehabilitate prisoners. SACRAMENTO Countyendsbidtouse inmate funds for jail SAN DIEGO A Califor- nia man pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing his girlfriend in Panama, where her remains were discovered in a jungle two years after she vanished. In his plea, Brian Brim- ager admitted to second- degree murder in federal court in San Diego, say- ing he stabbed 42-year-old Yvonne Lee Baldelli in the back and then dismem- bered her body with a ma- chete and disposed of her remains on a Panamanian island, where the couple had been living for two months in 2011. Prosecutors say after her death, Brimager withdrew money from Baldelli's ac- count and sent emails on her laptop to make friends and family members think the California woman was traveling. SAN DIEGO Man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2016 8 A