Official photo of Assistant District Attorney Dwain Woodley.

DA Appoints New Assistant District Attorney

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan today appointed Chief Deputy District Attorney Dwain Woodley as her office’s new Assistant District Attorney, making him the first African American to hold the number two spot in the DA’s Office. Woodley takes over for ADA David Greenberg, who retired in March. [TWEET THIS]

“In every leadership position Dwain has held for the past 12 years in the DA’s Office, he has demonstrated exceptional judgment and outstanding management skills,” DA Stephan said. “Dwain treats everyone with dignity and respect, giving a voice to the entire team and to the People of San Diego County. His leadership focuses on both internal accountability and community-based partnerships. He has worked tirelessly to deliver fair and equal justice, support victims of crime, build trust with the public and develop direct access to our office for all the diverse communities we serve. I look forward to working with Assistant DA Dwain Woodley to continue to build a model prosecutor’s office that balances public safety and responsible criminal justice reform.”

Assistant DA Woodley helped develop and lead the DA’s Community Partnership Prosecutors program which has been especially successful connecting the public with much-needed services around domestic violence, child abuse and hate crimes during the COVID19 pandemic.

A former public defender, Woodley joined the DA’s Office as a Deputy DA in 2001. He began his management track in 2008 serving as Assistant Chief of Central Pretrial and Disposition Division, Assistant Chief of Superior Court Division, Chief of Superior Court Division, Chief of the Juvenile Branch, and Chief of the South Bay Branch. In 2018, the first appointment newly-elected DA Stephan made was elevating Woodley to Chief Deputy DA.

Woodley served honorably in the United States Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1989-1995, where he was both a prosecutor and defense counsel. Dwain’s last assignment in the military was a staff attorney for Office of General Counsel at the National Security Agency (NSA). Dwain then served as a San Diego Deputy Public Defender before joining the District Attorney’s Office in 2001.

“Dwain has been instrumental in further developing our office as one that reflects the diversity of the community we serve by striving to recruit and retain the most talented, diverse and inclusive workforce in order to improve our pursuit of a fair and equal justice for all,” DA Stephan said.

Woodley grew up in Baltimore Maryland and graduated from McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) and University of Maryland Law School and completed the Prosecutors for Now course at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

His appointment is effective immediately. [TWEET THIS]

Photo of Amazon logo

Amazon Agrees to Provide Clearer Pricing Information to Customers Due to Lawsuit

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that the DA’s Consumer Protection Unit, working with the Santa Cruz, Alameda, Santa Clara, Yolo and Riverside District Attorney’s offices, obtained a multi-million dollar civil judgment in a consumer protection lawsuit against e-commerce giant, Amazon.com. The District Attorney’s complaint alleges that some Amazon reference price advertisements were either misleading or potentially misleading, to consumers making purchasing decisions.

“When consumers shop online, they need to be able to trust that when a product is advertised as being a bargain, it truly is” DA Stephan said. “This judgment should remind retailers that the law requires them to provide accurate information so consumers can make informed purchasing decisions. Our Consumer Protection Unit continues to hold companies accountable and collaborate successfully with our prosecution partners across the state of California.”

Amazon.com commonly uses reference prices, often called “Was” or “List” prices, to advertise savings to consumers. For example, a product advertised at $19.99 adjacent to a reference price stated as “Was $29.99” or “List Price $29.99.” A “Was” price is the price at which Amazon previously offered the product. “List” price advertisements suggest to consumers the price at which the product is commonly offered or sold by another seller, supplier or the product’s manufacturer. The District Attorneys determined that there were issues with how Amazon determined these reference prices and whether words like “Was” or “List” were used in a manner that was misleading to consumers.

The Stipulated Final Judgment, entered by San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal on March 24, requires Amazon to make changes and revisions to its “List” and “Was” pricing disclosures to explain the way it determines and validates it reference prices. These changes and revisions include a hyperlink to provide consumers clear definitions of the meaning of “Was” and “List” price advertisements, so they understand the nature of the advertised savings. Additionally, as part of the settlement, Amazon will pay a total of $2 million in penalties, costs, and restitution to the state’s Consumer Protection Trust Fund. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office will receive $300,000 in costs and penalties.

Amazon worked promptly and cooperatively throughout the District Attorneys’ investigation and has already implemented changes to its website and pricing algorithms consistent with the Final Judgment.

The case was handled by Deputy District Attorneys Colleen Huschke and Stephen Spinella of the DA’s Consumer Protection Unit. The DA’s Economic Crimes Division is responsible for prosecuting a wide variety of wrongdoing, including elder financial abuse, computer intrusion, complex identity theft, investment scams, embezzlements, real estate matters, counterfeit goods, environmental crimes and the theft of public assistance funds. The division also acts to protect consumers and businesses by successfully filing numerous civil cases to prohibit unfair business practices within the marketplace.

Photo of Judge's Gavel with white background

Murderer Released Under New Laws, Robs and Stabs Stranger

A murderer sentenced to 196 years-to-life in prison, who was released under Prop 57 and Senate Bill 1391 just four months ago, was charged today with a violent robbery after he allegedly took cash from a stranger and stabbed him in the back, causing his lung to collapse.

Dejon Satterwhite, 31, was arraigned in Superior Court today and charged with robbery with allegations of causing great bodily injury and using a deadly weapon. A judge ordered the defendant to be held on $2 million bail. If convicted of all the charges he faces up to nine years in prison.

On March 11, prosecutors say Satterwhite asked a man for money and offered to share heroin and methamphetamine with the stranger. When the defendant saw that the victim had a roll of money tucked in his socks, the defendant snatched all of the victim’s money and started to flee. When the victim pursued Satterwhite, he stabbed the victim in the back,  puncturing the victim’s left lung. When police arrived, the victim was blacking out from blood-loss.

In court today, Deputy District Attorney Jack Yeh detailed Satterwhite’s criminal history and previous conviction. When Satterwhite was 15-years old, he and three fellow gang members committed two drive-by shootings and a third shooting on Highway 163. Two people died and three others were wounded in the shootings. As a result, Satterwhite was convicted in adult criminal court of two counts of special circumstance murder and three counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 196 years-to-life in state prison.

While post-conviction hearings were taking place, Proposition 57 was passed in California, requiring transfer hearings for all defendants 14-years old and older to determine if they are inappropriate for juvenile court. Before this defendant could be brought to a transfer hearing, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1391, allowing transfer hearings only for those 16-years old and older. Since Satterwhite was 15-years old at the time he participated in the murders, he could not be transferred, and his convictions were changed into juvenile true-findings. As a result, he was released from custody in October of 2020.

Less than six months later, Satterwhite committed the alleged robbery.

“This defendant is an imminent danger to the community,” Deputy DA Yeh said in court. “He had proved this to be true when he participated in the 2004 murders and he demonstrated that he lacks the capacity to change when he allegedly robbed and stabbed a stranger, leaving him for dead.”

Approved by voters in 2016, Proposition 57 increased parole chances for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes and gave them more opportunities to earn credits for good behavior.

Satterwhite is due back in court on April 12 for a readiness hearing.

Screenshot of website Classmates.com

Classmates.com Settles Consumer Protection Lawsuit

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that PeopleConnect, Inc., the parent company for the popular social networking site, Classmates.com, agreed to pay $400,000 in penalties and costs and up to $150,000 in restitution as part of the settlement of a consumer protection lawsuit alleging that Classmates violated California’s Automatic Renewal Laws.  The lawsuit was filed by the California Auto Renewal Task Force (CART), which includes the District Attorney’s Offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties and the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office. [TWEET THIS]

The task force of local prosecutors alleged that Classmates’ online sign-up process failed to make certain statutorily required disclosures about its automatically-renewing subscriptions in a clear and conspicuous manner and failed to secure the consumer’s express prior consent, as required by law. The prosecution team also alleged that Classmates’ post-payment acknowledgment failed to supply a toll-free telephone number, email address or other timely and easy-to-use mechanism for cancelation – also a violation of the automatic renewal law – and that some consumers complained that it was difficult to cancel.

“Companies that offer subscriptions that renew automatically have a responsibility to adhere scrupulously to the law to ensure consumers are not misled and are making an informed choice about how to spend their money,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “This is another example of our consumer protection team working successfully with their CART colleagues to achieve compliance with these important laws.”

San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald L. Styn entered a final court judgment on the parties’ stipulated settlement on March 1, 2021.

The judgment requires Classmates to have full transparency with consumers about their automatically-renewing subscriptions.  The company must:

  • Clearly and conspicuously disclose its automatic-renewal terms;
  • Obtain the consumers’ affirmative consent to the terms through a separate checkbox or similar mechanism before charging for an automatic renewal or continuous service;
  • Email consumers a confirmation of the transaction after they pay which clearly includes the automatic-renewal terms and information on how to cancel; and
  • Allow consumers to easily cancel the subscriptions, including online, effective upon request.

Classmates cooperated with the prosecution team and is taking steps to ensure its web disclosures and processes comply with California’s Automatic Renewal Laws.

Deputy District Attorney Stephen M. Spinella with the Consumer Protection Division handled this case for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. [TWEET THIS]

Gavel over books.

Guilty Pleas in Massive Charter School Fraud

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today that two defendants have pleaded guilty connection with the A3 Charter School scheme that siphoned more than $50 million from the State of California. The defendants pleaded guilty in San Diego Superior Court to a variety of felony criminal charges including conspiracy and conflict of interest and are assisting in the return of over $210 million in assets. The defendants’ prison sentences are up to the court and range up to ten years in prison.[TWEET THIS]

Sean McManus, 48, and Jason Schrock, 44, who operated and controlled 19 California charter schools as well as four business entities, were indicted by a grand jury along with nine other defendants in May of 2019 on a several criminal counts.

Today, McManus pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to misappropriate public funds and to stealing more than $500,000. McManus faces up to 10 years in state prison. Schrock pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to misappropriate public funds, one felony count of conflict of interest, and also to stealing over $500,000. Schrock faces up to nine years in state prison. McManus, an Australian national, entered his guilty plea remotely from Australia via Microsoft Teams. In his plea agreement McManus agreed to return voluntarily to the United States.

“With these guilty pleas, the defendants now admit they engaged in a devious, systematic public corruption scheme on the backs of students, their parents and the public that diverted millions of taxpayer dollars into their own pockets,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “This is one of the largest fraud schemes targeting education dollars for K-12 students in the nation. Unraveling this complex scheme came as a result of over a year of persistent and dedicated work by our team of prosecutors and investigators, who specialized in public corruption. This expert DA team will continue their work on this pending case to seek justice and make victims whole through restitution.”

The timing of the exposure of the potential abuses in the online charter arena has saved the state additional hundreds of millions of dollars even before the pandemic, as the case made school districts and the state aware of oversight concerns.

Sentencing is set June 18 at 9:30 a.m. Three co-defendants, who worked under McManus and Schrock at various charter schools, have already pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy and have been cooperating with prosecutors under their plea agreements.

As part of the plea agreement the defendants have agreed to transfer significant assets that resulted from their scam, including over $210 million in cash, 13 houses, and various shares in third party companies. The plea agreement will result in many millions of dollars to be used to support education in San Diego County and across California.

“This plea allows for a speedy end to what otherwise could have tied up money belonging to the school system for years,” DA Stephan said. “A critical part of obtaining justice in this case is the ability to recover restitution, which can support students whose needs were was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovering over $200 million in restitution is one of the largest amounts related to education-targeted fraud in the nation. This was an extremely complicated case and our team from our Special Operations Division continues to do an amazing job holding the defendants accountable and helping school districts change the way they do business.”

The case is the result of a 235-page indictment, which was handed down by a grand jury in May of 2019 following a year-long investigation by members of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption Team, including DA Investigators David Iorillo, Don Holmes and Vincent Giaime, as well as Deputy DA Leon Schorr, who heads the public corruption unit and Deputy DA Kevin Fannan. The grand jury spent six weeks hearing testimony from more than 70 witnesses including employees of the charter schools, parents, athletic coaches, various school district representatives, and county and state-level regulatory employees.

The investigation uncovered a massive scheme in which McManus and Schrock directed subordinates and co-defendants to open 19 charter schools in San Diego County and across California. These are collectively called “A3 Charter Schools” and include:

  • Valiant Academy San Diego
  • Valiant Academy Los Angeles
  • Valiant Academy Santa Barbara
  • CA STEAM San Bernardino
  • CA STEAM Sonoma
  • CA STEAM Sonoma II
  • CA STEAM Santa Barbara
  • Uplift California Monterey
  • Uplift California North
  • Uplift California South
  • Uplift California Santa Barbara
  • California Academy of Sports Science
  • California Academy of Sports Science Fresno
  • California Vanguard Fresno
  • University Prep
  • University Prep Fresno
  • University Prep San Bernardino
  • California Prep Sutter K-7
  • California Prep Sutter 8-12

McManus and Schrock knowingly collected public funds from students for “summer school” even though the students were part of pre-existing youth programs such as sports teams, camps, gyms, private schools both religious and secular, and private enrichment centers.  McManus and Schrock authorized small payments to these programs for student information (as low as $25 for each student’s identifying information). McManus and Schrock then defrauded the state of California by claiming these students were being served by the A3 Charter Schools and being taught public education from licensed teachers, when the children often had absolutely no relationship with McManus’ and Schrock’s operation.

McManus and Schrock knowingly manipulated state funding procedures to inflate the amount of money the State of California paid the A3 Charter Schools for each summer school student.  They backdated documentation and manipulated school calendars to falsely demonstrate that children were engaged in educational activities for the entire summer. The defendants switched students between different A3 Charter Schools, called “sister schools” to increase funding per student/per school beyond legal limits. They also knowingly manipulated invoices paid to themselves through private companies in order for the A3 Charter Schools to defraud the state of California into believing the A3 Charter Schools complied with their Funding Determination approved by the California State Board of Education granting them full funding.  The A3 Charter Schools earned as much as $4,000 for each summer school child when the child received relatively nothing in exchange.

McManus and Schrock knowingly evaded oversight by manipulating financial and programmatic information given to auditors. They also avoided oversight by using subordinate figureheads to apply for charter schools and represent themselves to government regulators as the CEO of the schools when McManus and Schrock controlled all decision making and finances.

Once the A3 Charter Schools had public funds from the state, McManus and Schrock transferred millions of dollars to private companies they owned and controlled under the guise of providing educational services to the A3 Charter Schools that were not provided.

This massive fraud case has exposed numerous discrepancies in the way funding is determined for public schools across the state of California, as well as the lack of oversight of schools.  These charter schools significantly adjusted their calendars to receive greater “per student” funding than traditional schools. They transferred students frequently, often without the consent of the student, to achieve more Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding.

As part of the grand jury indictment, school districts like Dehesa were accused of not providing proper oversight, which allowed the charter schools to exist. Part of the landmark impact of this case is that school districts made change to avert fraud in the future through oversight and accountability. After this case came to light, the Dehesa Elementary School District made drastic changes to the way it operates and is becoming a leader on proper charter school oversight.

The District Attorney’s Office worked with the Court to appoint a receiver to manage the A3 Charter Schools and assets controlled by the defendants to preserve them for restitution. The receiver had the difficult task of assessing the viability of the schools and handling sensitive student files and ultimately decided to close the schools in June 2019. The receiver with assistance of the District Attorney’s office also sued six school districts involved in this case from across the state to require them to follow the law and return funds for not providing proper oversight. [TWEET THIS]

DA Investigator Christopher Everett is reunited with siblings he helped recover for the Child Abduction Unit.

Meet DA Investigator Christopher Everett

Meet District Attorney Investigator Christopher Everett, who has worked in law enforcement for 33 years. The first four years of his career began at the Los Angeles Police Department and then the San Diego Police Department, where he retired after 25 years. For the past five years, he has been working as an Investigator for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Child Abduction Unit, which is part of the Family Protection Division. To date, Christopher has helped recover 55 children.

Why did you decide to work at the DA’s Office?

“As I was approaching my retirement with the San Diego Police Department, I felt like I had more to offer the community and law enforcement,” he said. “It has truly been a blessing to work at the DA’s Office and have the opportunity to continue contributing to the San Diego County community.”

“Working in the Child Abduction Unit has been one of the most rewarding positions I’ve held in my 33-year law enforcement career.  In every child abduction case, the child experiences what I refer to as SEP (Sexual, Emotional and Physical Abuse).  In the worst-case scenarios, children become victims of human trafficking.  I know from experience that today’s victim becomes tomorrow’s suspect/defendant. The Child Abduction Unit has an opportunity stop the cycle of violence and change the entire trajectory of an abducted child’s life.  It’s why I remain committed to getting these children back to a safe environment.

While ALL of my cases have had an impact on me, the case which had the greatest impact was a case involving 14-year-old twin children (brother/sister). Their father used deception to get the children out of the US and take them to Iraq.  Once in Iraq, he refused to return the children. Because Iraq is a Non-Hague/Treaty country, the general consensus was there was nothing we could do to help the children. Knowing the children were suffering abuse at their father’s hand, I refused to give up.  Over 19 months, using creative investigative techniques, federal partnerships and help from the US and Iraq Military, I was able to get the kids back home. Although they are home safe, the road to emotional recovery for them both continues and won’t be easy.

This past Christmas, they sent me a family photo Christmas Card. Written on the card was ‘Our First Christmas! Thank You.’  Two weeks ago, I received an email from the family.  One of the twins applied to UC Santa Barbara and had been accepted. WOW, I thought. Just amazing!  Imagine if I hadn’t fought to bring them home? They would still be in that SEP environment.  I know that my work forever changed the trajectory of their lives for the better, and they have made an impression on me which I will never forget. Never Give Up!”

Why is Black History Month important to you?

“Black History Month is a time for highlighting the many accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have made to the scientific, educational and social justice fabric of our country. Black history matters to everyone, not just African Americans. Their accomplishments and challenges benefit all of humankind. I’m glad we celebrate and recognize Black History because to really truly understand our nation’s history, we all need to recognize and acknowledge the role of African Americans in that history.”

See their stories too:

Paralegal Nicole Runyon

Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson-Taylor

Chief Deputy District Attorney Dwain Woodley

Crime Prevention Specialist Danielle Fair

District Attorney Investigator Christopher Everett

Photo of Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson-Taylor

Meet Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson-Taylor

Meet Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson-Taylor, who has worked at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for 25 years and is the Chief of the Insurance Fraud and Workplace Justice Division. She runs a diverse and complex division made up of seven units, which are grant funded through the California Department of Insurance to investigate and prosecute insurance fraud violations. The division has a newly established unit which investigates and prosecutes claims of workplace violations. Sherry’s job also includes grant writing, managing budgets and participating in state and local audits.

Why did you decide to work at the DA’s Office?

“I knew that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” Sherry said. “Underserved communities have historically been poorly represented in the District Attorney’s Office and in the Superior Court. I believed that if I could influence people both in and outside the office, we could see a culture shift of acceptance and growth in the criminal justice system which includes fair representation and just determinations.”

Why is Black History Month important to you?

“As a child, Black History Month was an awkward and limited acknowledgement and recognition of Blacks and African-Americans to this country. Now, I truly appreciate the opportunity to discuss and highlight annually the sacrifices and contributions my ancestors made to build the foundation of this great country. As more and more of us learn the history of both enslaved people and underrepresented communities, we see how all of our family members have contributed to the fabric of our diverse society.”

See their stories too:

Paralegal Nicole Runyon

Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson-Taylor

Chief Deputy District Attorney Dwain Woodley

Crime Prevention Specialist Danielle Fair

District Attorney Investigator Christopher Everett

Photo of District Attorney Summer Stephan at a press conference in front of the County building.

New Workplace Justice Unit to Protect Workers’ Rights

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced today the formation of a new Workplace Justice Unit that will be dedicated to protecting workers’ rights, prosecuting criminal wage theft cases and stopping labor trafficking. The announcement is a community-based response that comes a few weeks after the DA hosted a workplace justice panel in partnership with San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher to identify ways to better-protect workers across the county, many of whom come from minority and disadvantaged communities. [TWEET THIS]

“Together with California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower and our law enforcement partners, we will work even harder to deliver justice for workers who are repeatedly abused by dishonest employers,” DA Stephan said. “Wage theft and labor trafficking are serious problems that we are working on in partnership with the community. We’re not going to allow workers to be exploited by heartless, greedy employers who break the law to line their own pockets.”

[WATCH VIDEO: News Conference Announcing New Workplace Justice Unit]

Many forms of workplace injustice are civil in nature, such as sexual harassment, discrimination or retaliation. But wage theft and labor trafficking are acts that may warrant criminal prosecution. Wage theft is when employers do not pay workers according to the law. This could include not paying wages earned, paying less than minimum wage, not paying overtime, not allowing workers to take meal and rest breaks, requiring off-the-clock work, taking tips from workers, or misclassifying employees as self-employed independent contractors. Labor trafficking is when a person is forced to provide labor or services through coercion, such as violence, threats, lies, fraud, confiscating legal documents, or to pay a debt.

The DA’s new Workplace Justice Unit is comprised of a dedicated prosecutor, DA investigator and paralegal. The Unit will prosecute unfair business practices, wage and hour violations, payroll tax evasion, wage theft and labor trafficking cases. To that end, the DA’s Insurance Fraud Division will be re-named the Insurance Fraud and Workplace Justice Division.

The District Attorney’s Office has long prosecuted wage theft cases through its Insurance Fraud Division, but only if an accompanying workers compensation fraud charge is included or investigated.

  • Between 2011-2012 the owners of State Street Grill were involved in a payroll scheme that violated California’s minimum wage laws. The owners advertised on Craigslist for immediate placement of server and cook positions. They would offer the proposed employee the position if they accepted to work without pay for the first seven days. This was considered a “training period.” If, after a week of unpaid work, the employer was satisfied with employee performance, they promised the employee they would be “put on the schedule” and paid going forward. Often, the employees were not hired or paid. Ultimately, investigators learned that this was a ploy to operate the business with little to no payroll. The prosecution of the father son duo resulted in restitution collected for 38 victims totaling $108,000.
  • In 2018 the owners of Fairhill Castle were convicted of wage theft after operating several care facilities in which they paid employees less than minimum wage. Employees were recruited from the Philippines to work 24 hours a day, often to be paid $1,500 a month. This scheme violated state overtime laws, which require time and half for over eight hours a day and double pay for over 12 hours of work per day. With the assistance of the Labor Commissioner’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office secured $220,000 in restitution for the victims.

To more effectively protect workers and seek equitable workplace justice, the DA’s Office is educating the public on worker rights through a palm card in English and Spanish and has created a public web page where anyone can obtain information about workplace justice and where victims of workplace crimes can report directly to the District Attorney’s Office. In addition, workers can also call the workplace justice hotline to make a report or report claims directly on the DA’s website.

“The Workplace Justice Unit is a vital step toward San Diego County’s new focus on protecting worker rights and fighting for employee fairness,” said Chair Nathan Fletcher, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “This will go a long way toward ensuring we stomp our income inequality, but we must do more. Soon we will pursue a living wage ordinance, install a worker recall and retention program and introduce a proposal for an office of Labor Standards Enforcement. This framework for worker rights will restore fairness and opportunity for all San Diegans.”

Prosecuting these types of criminal workplace justice cases require special care and expertise. Cases will be referred to the DA’s Office from community partners including watchdog groups such as MCTF, the Employee Rights Center, the Insurance Fraud Division Hotline, competitor businesses and employees themselves. The District Attorney’s Office often receives cases from the Labor Commissioner, which has wide-ranging enforcement responsibilities, including inspecting workplaces for wage and hour violations, adjudicating wage claims, investigating retaliation complaints, and educating the public on labor laws.

“Robbing someone of their hard-earned wages is unconscionable and must have consequences,” said Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower. “I applaud DA Stephan for her renewed commitment to partner with my office and provide focused resources to hold law-breaking employers accountable. We must reckon with the criminal element in California’s economy. Working collaboratively to prosecute the heinous crimes of human trafficking and wage theft is our duty to protect working people.”

[WATCH VIDEO: News Conference Announcing New Workplace Justice Unit]

Wage theft and labor trafficking offenses are often considered part of the underground economy. The rapidly growing underground economy costs California an estimated $9 billion in uncollected tax revenue and imposes significant financial burdens on business owners that comply with labor, licensing and payroll tax laws. Employees of business that operate in the underground economy are also affected. Working conditions often may not meet legal requirements, wages may be less than what is required by law and benefits workers are entitled to may be delayed or even denied due to an employer’s failure to properly report wages. This scheme may also shift the tax burden onto the employee with the ultimate consequence being the erosion of economic stability and working conditions for all workers.

For more information on the experience of working people in San Diego who come forward with complaints of wage theft, you can download the Confronting Wage Theft report, here.

[TWEET THIS]

Photo of Crime Prevention Specialist Danielle Fair

Meet Crime Prevention Specialist Danielle Fair

Meet Crime Prevention Specialist Danielle Fair, who works in the Prevention and Intervention Programs for the DA’s Office. In this role, Danielle does community outreach and assessments for those who seek resources at the CARE Community Center. You can learn more about her role, in this video.

Why did you decide to work at the DA’s Office?

“I decided to work at the DA’s Office because I wanted to learn more about the criminal justice system and do what I could to help people as a public servant,” she said.

Why is Black History Month Important to you?

“Black History Month is important to me because it reminds me that despite the atrocities of slavery and the systematic oppression that is still in place today, Black Americans have and are still thriving and making significant innovations in our society.”

See their stories too:

Paralegal Nicole Runyon

Deputy District Attorney Sherry Thompson-Taylor

Chief Deputy District Attorney Dwain Woodley

Crime Prevention Specialist Danielle Fair

District Attorney Investigator Christopher Everett

Photo of Community Partnership Prosecutor Cheryl Sueing-Jones.

Meet CPP Cheryl Sueing-Jones

Meet Community Partnership Prosecutor Cheryl Sueing-Jones, who has worked for the DA’s Office for more than 20 years. In that role, Cheryl engages in long-term proactive partnerships with the community, with law enforcement and with public and private organizations to build reciprocal relationships of trust. She conducts trainings, community forums, town halls and public safety workshops intended to reduce crime and improve the quality of life for residents. “My position provides a platform to listen to the community, address concerns, correct misconceptions and educate the public about crime prevention initiatives,” she said. “It is my honor and privilege to collaborate with the community and our office to promote equity, diversity and inclusion.” [TWEET THIS]

Why did you come to work at the District Attorney’s Office?

“I decided to work for the DA’s office because I wanted to be a trial lawyer, to bring justice to victims of crime and to be a voice to the most vulnerable. I have stayed here for nearly a quarter of a century because I have had many opportunities to fulfill those missions in an office that is on the frontline of positive change and is committed to improving criminal justice and race relations inside and outside of the office. I am always proud when I have the opportunity to stand and say ‘Cheryl Sueing-Jones for the people.’”

Why is Black History Month important to you?

“Over the last several months our country has experienced a transformational moment in race relations and demands for racial justice have reached a fever pitch,” Sueing-Jones said. “Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by death and job losses from COVID-19. The killing of George Floyd and others ignited long-term historic trauma that is rooted in racism and exposed the systemic inequities that continue despite the many contributions African Americans have made to every aspect of American culture. While we were relieved to see 2020 in the rearview mirror, 2021 arrived with an attack on the US Capitol following the election of the first Black Vice President, Kamala Harris, a woman, my sorority sister, Hastings classmate and fellow graduate of a historically Black college. During this time of division, it is important to not only remember our history, but to also celebrate our new examples of black excellence. Black History Month is important to me because it represents an opportunity to shine a light upon the best in African American culture and to keep the spirit of Black Lives Matter alive.” [TWEET THIS]