Los Angeles, California - Four Philippine nationals were indicted Thursday on conspiracy, hostage-taking, and weapons charges stemming from the kidnapping in the Philippines of a mother and her then 14-year-old son in July of 2011. The indictment alleges that the group held the mother for approximately 82 days and the son for approximately 151 days, and forced the family to pay ransom for their return. The victims, both U.S. nationals, were in the Philippines on a family trip.

San Francisco, California - Ian Furminger, 47, of Pleasant Hill and Edmond Robles, 46, of Danville, both San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) officers, were convicted today by a federal jury of conspiracy to violate civil rights, conspiracy to steal from a federally funded program, and devising a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property through wire fraud. Robles was also convicted of theft from a federally funded program.

San Jose, California - Paul S. Devine was sentenced on December 1, 2014, to 12 months and one day in prison, and ordered to pay $4,464,664 in restitution for wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, and engaging in transactions in criminally-derived property, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon.

Santa Ana, California - A Huntington Beach church worship leader was sentenced Friday to 36 years to life in state prison for sexually assaulting a boy relative and producing child pornography.

Oakland, California - Consuelo “Connie” Puente pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft yesterday, announced United States Attorney Melinda Haag and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon.

Yosemite, California - Yosemite National Park's waterfalls are flowing again due to two days of significant rainfall in the Yosemite area. Waterfalls such as Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, and Cascade Fall are going full force due to recent storms. Snow levels remain high and roads leading into Yosemite Valley are open and clear.