MH man sentenced to prison for child pornography
A Morgan Hill man will serve nearly five years in prison after admitting he possessed one of the largest collections of child pornography ever found in Silicon Valley, according to authorities.Paul Lawrence Vella, 60, entered a guilty plea Aug. 4, 2014 in federal court in the Northern District of California, according to U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag.Vella, an engineer, admitted to investigators that he used his computer to download thousands of images of child pornography through a P2P network, and saved those images on hard drives, discs and other digital devices, according to Haag.Authorities from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 915 known child victims from his collections of child pornography, Haag added.Vella admitted to the court that he knowingly possessed more than 600 images of child pornography, according to authorities. Law enforcement also found more than 86,000 images and more than 2,100 videos depicting child pornography in Vella’s possession.Some of the images and videos showed prepubescent minors and images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct, authorities said. Some depicted the forcible rape of, and other violence against young children.Court documents revealed that Vella possessed one of the largest collections of child pornography ever found in Silicon Valley.Vella’s arrest and conviction are the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, Haag added.After serving a sentence of 59 months in prison, Vella will be on supervised probation for seven years, according to Haag’s statement. He will also be required to register as a sex offender, participate in a sex offender treatment program and pay $29,500 in restitution.Vella has been in custody since he pleaded guilty Aug. 4.
Henry Estrada Jr. Leon December 26,1966 – October 5, 2012
Our beloved Henry Estrada Jr. Leon, born December 26, 1966 in San Jose, CA, went peacefully on October 5, 2012, surrounded by his wife, two daughters, and son in-law. A devoted family man of two girls and four dogs, Henry was a loving husband, dedicated brother, amazing son, caring father in-law, goofy uncle, precious brother in-law, and thoughtful friend.
E-cigs to face same restrictions as tobacco in unincorporated areas
Starting later this summer, the use and sale of electronic smoking devices—or e-cigarettes—will be regulated the same as tobacco in unincorporated Santa Clara County.On June 10, the county’s Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that adds the increasingly popular devices to the county’s tobacco control ordinances, according to the county press release.The changes include restricting e-cigarette sales near schools, banning smoking in common areas of multi-unit residents, and protecting the social norm advances related to tobacco use by restricting e-cigarette use in public places outside any city limits in Santa Clara County, according to a county press release.The new e-cigarette use restrictions will go into effect July 24.E-cigarette retailers will be required to obtain a local permit and follow the same rules as tobacco retailers, according to the press release. Currently, there are 24 tobacco retailers in unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, of which nine sell e-cigarettes.“Santa Clara County has been a leader in protecting and promoting the public health and welfare of our communities, implementing some of the strongest second hand smoke ordinances in the nation,” Supervisor Ken Yeager said. “Electronic smoking devices emit toxic chemicals, lead to an increase in nicotine use, and entice youth to smoke at an early age. E-cigarettes threaten the County’s goal of promoting a healthy community.”Yeager brought the County’s tobacco ordinances to the Board of Supervisors, and is Chair of the Board’s Health and Hospital Committee.In March, the Board voted to add e-cigarettes to the County’s no-smoking policies for County facilities, leased properties, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and health clinics.E-cigarette restrictions will be added to the County’s three comprehensive measures, including the Smoking Pollution Control Ordinance, the Multi-Unit Residences Ordinance and the Tobacco Retailer Permit Ordinance, according to county staff. The use of electronic smoking devices will be restricted wherever smoking is prohibited by state or local law, which includes indoor and outdoor areas such as work sites, restaurants, bars and parks, according to the county release.The new county ordinance is a response to the growing use and popularity of e-cigarettes as an alternative to tobacco.“The lack of regulation and widespread availability of e-cigarettes nationwide have contributed to increasing social acceptance of e-cigarettes and the misperception that these products are somehow safe,” County Health Officer Sara Cody said. “E-cigarettes threaten to undo much of the social norm change around tobacco use, norm change that has undoubtedly saved lives, and largely resulted from policies like the ones implemented by the county.”A CDC study showed that, in 2011, 4.7 percent of all high school students had tried electronic smoking devices. By 2012, that figure had increased to 10 percent of all high school students. According to the County Public Health Department, there is growing evidence of potential health harms of smoking e-cigarettes such as cardiovascular disease and hypertension since they contain nicotine.
Gilroy woman charged in federal investigation
A 51-year-old Gilroy woman, Anita Sharma, is one of three Bay Area residents charged with mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements on a loan and credit application, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Gilroy High boys soccer a work in progress, but optimistic it will coalesce
Longtime Gilroy High boys soccer coach Armando Padilla acknowledges the team will be a work in progress, especially when it comes to scoring goals.
The Mustangs (1-4-2) were shut out in four of their first seven matches and scored just five times in that stretch,...
Gilroy’s Most Romantic Couples
Gilroy's Downtown Business Association sponsored its first Valentine's Day contest for the most romantic couple. It gave prizes to the top 3 (we'll let you know who they were soon). But first, read these and give us your vote for the best in the...
