Crews in National City bulldozed an illegal homeless encampment Thursday where dozens of residents said they’ve lived for years.

The hidden neighborhood is located in the riverbed across from the Plaza Bonita Mall. Some of the makeshifts houses have furniture, toilets, bathtubs and even electricity.

National City police told residents earlier this week that they were being forced to evacuate. By Thursday, most of the people had already left. They left behind pieces of their lives, including bunk beds, basketballs hoops and live chickens.

“Just wish we had a little more time to move out. Seems kind of unfair. The city could have worked with us a little more, I think,” said Adrian, who has lived in the encampment two years with his wife and three school-aged children.

“That's our home. We are a community just like any other community,” said a woman who identified herself as Lisa.

"We’re homeless, but we’ve chosen to make the best of a bad situation,” she said.

However, opponents of the lifestyle argue that it’s trespassing and a source of crime. Also, several brush fires have started in the area, including one where a woman’s body was discovered in the ashes.

Police said these residents know they’re trespassing, so this cleanup shouldn't come as a surprise. They said the next challenge is keeping people out without building a fence.

A controversial proposal to build a bridge through Rose Canyon took a hit Thursday when San Diego city officials said they want the project shelved.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Council President Pro Tem Sherri Lightner want the Regents Road Bridge removed from the University City Community plan.

For decades, people have battled over building a bridge across Rose Canyon. University City has only one north to south route between Interstate 5 and Interstate 805. That’s Genesee Avenue.

In 2006, the San Diego City Council approved a plan to build a bridge extending Regents Road through Rose Canyon, connecting the north and south sections of University City. The project was estimated to cost $35 million at the time.

The bridge was first proposed to relieve traffic and to improve emergency response times.

However, Mayor Faulconer wants the City of San Diego to move forward without a bridge. Instead, he suggests a new study will help planners find a new solution.

Kevin Warsing was delighted at the news. He’s a member of the Friends of Rose Canyon, a community group that has fought the plan in the courts and in the court of public opinion.

“It's long overdue that we take this 20th century project off the books,” Warsing said.

Opponents like Warsing say a bridge that would help commuters would destroy a park full of wildlife and popular with hikers.

There were those in attendance at Thursday’s news conference who want the bridge to be built arguing it will ease congestion. Marcia Munn was one of them.

“The Regents Road Bridge would be the best solution, the cheapest solution in the long run,” Munn said.

Those in favor of building the bridge say the traffic problems are only going to get worse and the mayor's plan isn't going to help.

The community will have access to review results of a new study focusing on improving emergency response times and traffic.

A parking ticket was issued to a bloody livery cab in Queens, hours after the driver was stabbed multiple times, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers said.

The driver, 30-year-old Fernando Crespin, has remained in critical condition at Elmhurst General Hospital since the stabbing in Woodhaven early Thursday.

Crespin got into an argument with a passenger who then stabbed him multiple times in the torso, arm and hands, and fled with the cab, the union said.

The cab, which was covered in blood inside and out was found Thursday afternoon by a co-worker of Crespin's in front of a bus stop in Ridgewood with the parking ticket, the union said.

"The ticket writer should have noticed all the blood on the car and called 911 to report the bloody cab to police,” said union spokesman Fernando Mateo. “What happened to if you see something say something?”

In response to the union's criticism, police said Friday that the windows of the car were tinted, peventing the parking enforcement officer from seeing inside of the vehicle and realizing a crime had been committed. The ticket has since been voided, police said.

The union also said it was looking to reward the good samaritan who saved Crespin's life by calling 911, after several cars allegedly drove around Crespin without stopping while he was bleeding in the street.

Police are looking to speak with 41-year-old Kenneth Suden of Queens in connection with the attack. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

A man wanted in Massachusetts for allegedly raping a child, then handcuffing and assaulting a family member, made a stop in Vernon on Thursday and may still be in Connecticut, according to police in Southbridge, Massachusetts.

Gregory Lewis, 26, of Southbridge, is wanted on multiple felony warrants pertaining to the repeated rape of a child. He has been missing since Sept. 15.

Police said he cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet and fled the state in his parents’ car, then returned home and assaulted a family member. According to police, Lewis tied up and handcuffed the relative to prevent him or her from calling 911.

He left the house with a gun, police said. Surveillance footage from a Vernon business show Lewis walking through the store Thursday night.

Lewis is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. It's not clear where he is now, but authorities believe he may still be in the state of Connecticut.

He is suspected to be driving a blue 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Massachusetts license plates 85G-F63. Police said it's possible Lewis may have changed the license plates on the car.

Southbridge police said Lewis may be suicidal.

He has been charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, along with two counts of statutory rape of a child. Lewis was released on $1,000 bail after his arraignment Aug. 6.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to call Southbridge, Massachusetts police detectives at 508-764-5420.

A convicted felon carrying a loaded gun was arrested outside a sports bar in Oceanside Thursday night, police confirmed.

Ronnie Corral, 37, a convicted felon from Arizona, was taken into custody by detectives at around 10:15 p.m. in the parking lot outside Rookies Sports Bar at 2216 El Camino Real. According to the Oceanside Police Department, Corral was carrying a loaded .32 caliber handgun.

Special Enforcement Section detectives and police officers were conducting an undercover operation at the sports bar related to possible over-serving of alcoholic beverages.

At one point in the sting, officers contacted two men who were drinking alcohol in the parking lot of the bar. This included Corral.

Two officers approached the men and one told Corral he was going to pat him down for weapons. Police said Corral allegedly pulled away from the officer and tried to run away. When the second officer grabbed Corral, the suspect allegedly grabbed the officer’s holstered gun.

Corral was ordered to let go of the cop’s gun and fight ensued between Corral and the officer. The pair fell to the ground and, ultimately, police were able to handcuff Corral.

After the struggle, police found the loaded .32 handgun belonging to Corral on the ground, the police department said.

Corral was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on several charges, including carrying a loaded firearm in public, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest. He’s set to appear in court Monday.
 

Multiple flights at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field were canceled Friday morning due to a fire at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in suburban Chicago that snarled approximately 850 flights in and out of
O’Hare and Midway international airports.

At the San Diego International Airport, various flights in and out of Chicago were canceled or delayed, including flights with American Airlines, Southwest and at least one with United.

The fire in Chicago – which authorities believe may have been intentionally set by a contract employee – snarled plans for travelers not just in San Diego, but across the country, as O’Hare is the world’s busiest airport.

To check the flights impacted at Lindbergh Field, visit the airport website.

An UberX driver has been accused of hitting a passenger on the head with a hammer in San Francisco, sources told the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit.

Patrick Karajah pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.

The alleged assault occurred at 2 a.m. Tuesday after Karajah had a disagreement with one of the three passengers in his vehicle, according to sources citing court records.

The passenger questioned the route Karajah was taking, which sparked the disagreement, sources said. Karajah then pulled the vehicle over in the area of Alemany Boulevard and Ellesworth Avenue in San Francisco. Karajah then pulled out a hammer and started hitting the passenger on the head before fleeing the scene in the car, sources told NBC Bay Area.

The victim, who suffered facial fracture and trauma to the head, was transported to a local hospital. Sources tell NBC Bay Area the victim is still hospitalized.

Karajah was later arrested at his home in Pacifica.

Uber spokesperson Eva Behrend provided the following statement in response to the alleged attack:

"Safety is Uber's No. 1 priority. We take reports like this seriously and are treating the matter with the utmost urgency and care. It is also our policy to immediately suspend a driver's account following any serious allegations, which we have done. We stand ready to assist authorities in any investigation."

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Believe it or not, it’s the beginning of flu season, and on Friday, local health officials kicked off the season with a free-immunization event.

Residents were encouraged to come to the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center to get their flu shot, which was free to 500 people, thanks to the San Diego Black Nurses Association in conjunction with San Diego County.

And many San Diegans took advantage of the event, such as Nathaniel Panes who showed up bright and early.

“It was really quick,” he said. “We came really early, assuming there would be a huge line.”

During the campaign, health officials pointed out the devastating effects of influenza and the importance that everyone be immunized.

Last season, 70 San Diegans died due to complications from influenza, five more than the previous year. Many of those deaths were among adults between the ages of 40 and 65, contrary to the belief that mostly the elderly are susceptible to the flu.

Health leaders also reiterated that the flu vaccine is safe and effective.

“One of the myths is that the flu vaccine doesn’t work,” said Dr. Mark Sawyer. “But people need to realize: the flu that those people get is much milder than it would have been had they not been immunized.”

About 151 to 159 million doses of flu vaccine are projected to be available this season.

The flu vaccine is already available at doctors' offices and retail pharmacies as well as one of the county public health center (for those with no insurance).

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It is marked by fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, muscle and body aches, headache, fatigue and, in some cases, vomiting, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested 15 illegal immigrants early Friday morning after a panga boat washed ashore in the Mission Beach area.

The 35-foot vessel was spotted on the ocean moving north, directly west of Belmont Park, by agents from the Imperial Beach Station at around 3:45 a.m., U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said.

Border Patrol agents in a boat and helicopter from the CBP Office of Air and Marine were called to the location. When the panga arrived on shore around 4 a.m., agents were waiting to take the passengers into custody.

The boat remained beached early Friday near the boardwalk, about a half-mile north of Belmont Park. By 6 a.m., the panga passengers were no longer at the scene and had been arrested, according to a resident who witnessed the incident.

That Mission Beach resident told NBC 7 he woke up to the commotion and counted at least 14 people being arrested at the beach near the boat. He said the suspects were all told to lie down on the boardwalk while agents cuffed them and secured the scene.

CBP officials confirmed 14 men and one woman were on board the panga – all of whom were Mexican nationals. They ranged in age from 12 to 47 years old, officials said. An agent did said every person on the boat was arrested and there were no outstanding suspects.

The illegal immigrants were all taken to a local Border Patrol station for processing and the U.S. Border Patrol hauled away the vessel.

In San Diego, non-profit groups and other community members helping the homeless will soon use the same system to track and coordinate care.

The City Council allocated $400,000 as a one-time expense to connect all homeless care providers across the county into one database to establish Homeless Management Information System.

By converting to Service Point, a software used currently by many homeless service providers, anyone offering care to homeless individuals can work together to streamline getting those in need to the right services.

“I hope I get a bed soon,” said Daniel Medrano who has been without a home for two months. He was waiting in line outside Father Joe's Villages wearing flip flops and carrying a skateboard.

The young man who was picked up from a makeshift home at the Imperial Beach Pier said it's been difficult to get assistance.

Morris Jackson holds a part-time job and stays in his sister’s living room for now. He said he’s experienced issues with some assistance programs because he’s dropped to the bottom of waiting lists without warning.

“At first it seemed like there was no hope but now, with this program that they’re doing, it sounds like there’s hope because everyone is going to keep connected,” Jackson said.

One staffer at Father Joe's Villages said it's been a process getting used to Service Point, a new system for the largest homeless facility in San Diego.

However, she told NBC 7 she believes it will help the shelter see clients in a more holistic way.

Bill Bolstad, Vice President of Capital Development, said the process of shopping local shelters to help place someone in a bed can be time consuming.

"This is taking what could be 25 phone calls to making it one click," Bolstad said.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer called the move essential to inform city leaders how to best allocate future resources.

Two other large homeless shelters, Episcopal Community Services and Veterans Village of San Diego, were using other software before transitioning to the Service Point system as part of the project.

All providers are expected to be using the same system by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

For passengers arriving at O'Hare International Airport on Friday morning, it was a rude awakening.

"My wife got a phone message from one of our friends and they said, 'Turn on the TV, there is a problem,'" traveler Randy Anderson said.

A ground stop was ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration at O'Hare and Midway International Airport in the wake of a fire deliberately set at an FAA facility at an air traffic control center in suburban Chicago. Hundreds of flights were stuck at the gates, and runways remained empty.

For Amin Saveghi, that meant a struggle to reschedule his business trip to New York.

"We got a voice message in the morning that we have rescheduled your flight to tomorrow," Saveghi said. "And our return flight was already [booked] for tomorrow. Basically our outgoing flight was the same day as our return flight."

In all, more than 1,400 flights were canceled at O'Hare and another 400 at Midway.

Oak Lawn's Erica Heilmann and her daughter Natalie were finally planning to take a trip to New York City this weekend after cancer forced her to postpone the trip earlier. But Friday's ground stop at Midway derailed those plans again.

"I was disappointed, but you also look around at the people in the line that you're talking to and see people have greater stories," Heilman said.

Jennifer Haag and her family drove to Midway from Morton, Illinois Friday, all set to board an 8 a.m. flight for a long-planned birthday visit to Disney World.

"One person's choice has affected thousands. It has ruined our day for sure," Haag said.

The Haags couldn't get another flight until Saturday night, so they rented a car and planned to drive to Indianapolis to catch a flight there.

"We were so excited. Now it's just a bad start to the whole thing," Haag said.

Steve Herda said he will miss a family wedding Saturday in Tulsa.

"All of a sudden we went to get something to eat and flights were cancelled. And then it wouldn't be until tomorrow," Herda said. "Which is no good because we are supposed to be at a wedding tomorrow. They want to send us to Charlotte, then Tulsa, so we wouldn't get thee til after the fact anyway."

While most travelers worried about getting to their destinations, Gloria Money was worried about her health.

"I am a diabetic, OK," Money said. "I left my medication in my bag when I checked in. I am trying to get my bag so I can get my medication out, and I am getting all kind of runaround."

By noon, the ground stop was lifted and flights resumed on a very limited basis.

Ed DeWarrd and his daughter tried to make the best of a bad situation.

"You can either choose to be happy or upset about it," DeWarrd said. "And for me I am trying to follow her lead. If she's happy, I'm happy."

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

A former state assemblyman and two-time candidate for San Diego Mayor is featured prominently in publicity for a controversial “alternative birthing center.”

Nathan Fletcher, who now works for the hi-tech powerhouse Qualcomm, is featured in a detailed posting on the "Babies by the Sea Birthing Center" Facebook page.

A health department document lists Fletcher as one of four members of the Center’s board-of-directors.

On the center's Facebook page, owner Doctor Robert Biter refers to Fletcher as “One of my best friends... who does the right thing, despite political opinion."

NBC 7 Investigates made repeated attempts by phone and email to contact Fletcher for a comment on his endorsement of the center, and its owner, Dr. Robert Biter, who was the target of very serious discipline, by the Medical Board of California.

In response to our questions, Fletcher spokesperson Rachel Laing now says the former-Marine Corps officer and combat veteran has resigned from the birthing center’s board, “due to the time and travel commitments of Nathan's job."

Laing declined to specify when Fletcher resigned his directorship.

Laing did explain that Fletcher and Dr. Biter became friends six years ago, when Biter delivered one of Fletcher’s two sons.

Laing said Fletcher also “acted as a volunteer advisor” to Biter, and remains his “personal friend” despite his resignation.

Dr. Biter is the target of intense criticism from a North County couple who blame him for the death of their unborn child.

Amber and Michael Lukacs filed a malpractice lawsuit against Biter, who denies responsibility for the infant’s death.

The Lukacs’s attorney said Biter has no malpractice insurance to cover any damages the Lukacs family could win from a verdict or settlement.

And court documents obtained by NBC 7 Investigates reveal that Biter filed for bankruptcy, which will protect his personal assets from a civil judgment.

The Lukacs family has organized a protest at the Center’s grand opening party, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, September 27 in Encinitas.

They have also built a Facebook page, “Stop Robert Biter”, that explains in detail why they think Biter is unfit to run the Birthing Center.

Biter surrendered his medical license last year after the Medical Board of California accused him of gross negligence, incompetence and unprofessional conduct in his treatment of Amber Lukcas and her unborn baby.

Before that, the Medical Board had twice suspended Biter’s license, and placed him on seven years’ probation, with strict terms and conditions.

In a written statement provided to NBC 7 Investigates, Biter said "The loss of [their] baby was a horrible tragedy and was devastating to all involved. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and despite their animosity towards me, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Lukacses…”

Biter also confirmed that he is “no longer practicing medicine in California” and will have only an administrative, non-medical role at the birthing center, which offers an alternative to hospital-based labor-and-delivery.

In a phone conversation Friday with NBC 7, Biter declined to comment about Fletcher's association with the Birthing Center.

A Honolulu man accused of killing his wife seven years ago and dumping her body in a desert near San Diego County was extradited to San Diego overnight as part of the homicide investigation.

Anthony Simoneau, 46, allegedly killed Fumiko Ogawa, 41, and dumped her body in the Anza-Borrego Desert in 2007.

Remains of a woman were found in a shallow grave near the Bow Willow Campground on Jan. 20, 2007, and positively identified as Ogawa four years later.

Ogawa, a Japanese national, was last seen near her Point Loma home on or around Jan. 4, 2007. Her family in Japan – not Simoneau – reported her missing.

When San Diego investigators interviewed her husband, he told them she had gone to Hawaii, according to police.

Simoneau has denied killing his wife, but police identified him as a suspect after learning he had sought a divorce before her death.

He was arrested and charged with her death earlier this month in Hawaii, where he had been working as a tour guide. Upon his arrest, Simoneau told a judge he looked forward to returning to San Diego to vindicate his name.

Simoneau was flown from Hawaii into San Diego’s Lindbergh Field Thursday night and booked into San Diego Central Jail just before midnight one count of first-degree murder.

He's scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday, the San Diego District Attorney's office confirmed.  If convicted, Simoneau faces 25 years to life in prison.
 

A San Diego businessman's complaints about a utility company's spray painted markings in front of his real estate company fell on deaf ears until NBC 7 began asking questions about the cleanup.

Jeff Grant has walked by the bright orange markings in front of his real estate company on W. Market Street for months.

"It's definitely not subtle," said Grant.

The lines mark where Cox Cable has its phone lines running into the downtown building.

The spray paint includes boxes, lines and letters written on red brick. He knows there is a reason for the markings but can't figure out how long they are supposed to be there.

"I've spoken with the building manager, I've spoken with the maintenance manager and they have all said they tried to fix it," said Grant.

When he called Cox Cable he was told Cox is not responsible for removing the markings, or "mark outs" as they are called in the industry.

Those markings identify where important lines are buried such as gas or phone lines.

After the construction work is complete, they're supposed to be removed within 30 days according to Tony Khalil with San Diego Code Enforcement.

The senior engineer called Cox Cable about the marks in front of Jeff Grant's building. He was told they were put down by a contractor who was still doing work in the area but that they would be removed in a week.

The markings can be removed easily with a special solvent, he added.

Grant says the lines looked more like graffiti to him and that it will be great to see the eyesore removed.

If a homeowner believes the markings have been left behind they should contact the contractor first, Khalil said. If that does not work, residents can contact the Code Enforcement Department.

A former San Diego Police Department officer who admitted to misconduct on the job – including assault, battery and illegally detaining several women – cried as he addressed a judge at his sentencing Friday.

“I would like to say that I am sorry for anything I have done that has caused anyone pain,” Christopher Hays said holding back tears.

“I have always tried to help people and do good, so now that I have hurt someone, it’s not something that I am very proud of," he continued.

Hays, 30, pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment as well as misdemeanor counts of assault and battery under the color of authority by a peace officer on Aug. 22.

With that plea, prosecutors said the ex-cop faced a maximum of five years behind bars but would likely be sentenced to about one year.

Such was the case Friday as a judge sentenced Hays to one year in county jail, plus three years of probation.

At least four women came forward after Hays inappropriately touched and groped them during pat downs while he was on duty.

In May, NBC 7 spoke with Hays’ wife, Erika Hays, who defended his innocence and said she would continue to stand by her husband.

At his sentencing, Hays spoke about how much he's hurt his family amid this ordeal, and how much he loves his wife and children.

“I am so sorry for what my family has had to endure. I know I have caused them a great deal of pain and suffering, which is something I never wanted to [do],” he said, crying.

“My boys mean the world to me and I will work every day to set an example and also to make them proud. This especially pains me to know how much my wife has gone through because of this. I am so blessed to have her by my side. I love her so much,” Hays added.

The ex-cop said he looks forward to moving past this, building a career and being able to provide for his family again some day.

Prosecutor Annette H. Irving said she was pleased with the judge's sentencing, calling it "just and fair." She said Hays is an example of one bad apple, not at all a reflection of the entire San Diego Police Department.

Brian Watkins, attorney for one of Hays' victims, said that while his clients was pleased with Hays' sentence, no amount of time in jail would fix the trauma she endured at the hands of the officer.

“Like any victim of sexual assault, she’s very devastated by it. The fact that this guy is an officer makes things worse,” said Watkins.

The attorney said Hays has showed little towards his victims.

“Officer Hays is disturbed. He expressed no remorse towards the victims and apologized only to his family,” Watkins added.

Hays' attorney, Kerry Armstrong, said his client is still coming to terms with all that has transpired.

“He’s lived his whole life never being in trouble. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet that he’s pleaded these charges,” said Armstrong after the sentencing.

Armstrong said that, with good behavior, Hays could possibly get out of jail in six months and begin a new life with his family. Armstrong said Hays plans to eventually move out of San Diego and back to his home state of Arkansas with his wife and kids.

At Hays’ preliminary hearing in April, three alleged victims identified only as Jane Doe One, Two and Three described their interactions with the officer in uniform.

Jane Doe Two said Hays allegedly gave her a pat down that included lingering over every part of her body. Jane Doe Three accused Hays of dropping his hand towards his groin and asking her to touch his body.

Hays – a four-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department – was charged with the misconduct crimes in February. Hours after his arraignment, he resigned from the SDPD, saying he was not guilty. He said he felt betrayed by the department.

Hays’ case has put the SDPD under fire this year, further marring the department’s image, which has faced a wave of public scrutiny for quite some time.

When news broke of the alleged sexual misconduct crimes, then-Chief William Lansdowne ordered an outside audit of the police department from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Lansdowne’s successor, Chief Shelley Zimmerman, supported the audit.

“We are not going to tolerate this misconduct and betrayal of our badge and our profession,” Zimmerman said in March.

In addition to Hays, SDPD Officer Donald Moncrief was accused earlier this year of touching a woman inappropriately during an arrest in the South Bay and allegedly exposing himself to the woman.

Moncrief was never formally charged and left his job with the SDPD. In late April, he filed a claim against the city and the SDPD seeking damages for defamation, among other things.

Meanwhile, former San Diego police officer Anthony Arevalos is currently serving prison time for multiple felony counts of sexual battery, assault and asking for bribes while in uniform as a police officer patrolling the Gaslamp from 2009 to 2011.

On Thursday, attorneys and city officials announced that a San Diego woman who was victimized by Arevalos will receive $5.9 million in a legal settlement negotiated between the victim and the City of San Diego.

The woman, known only as “Jane Doe,” filed a claim of police misconduct after an interaction with then-officer Arevalos inside a 7-Eleven store bathroom on March 8, 2011.

According to prosecutors, Arevalos conducted a routine traffic stop on Jane Doe and then suggested the two of them go into the nearby convenience store. The two entered the restroom with the agreement that she would give him her panties, and in exchange he would not charge her for a DUI.

Jane Doe's lawsuit was one of 13 filed by victims of Arevalos, who was convicted in November 2011.

A U.S. Marine Colonel with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Miramar has been “removed from his post” pending an investigation, NBC 7 has confirmed.

Colonel Mark Sojourner has been reassigned as the Marine Corps reportedly investigates allegations that the high ranking officer had an affair.

An article published Wednesday in the San Diego Union Tribune reported that Sojourner was accused of an extra-marital affair involving a subordinate while stationed in Germany.

On Friday, a Pentagon spokesperson would not confirm the reason for Sojourner's reassignment.

The military investigates allegations of extra-marital affairs out of necessity, said George E. Reed the Associate Dean of the School of Leadership and Sciences at USD.

“The reason for that predominantly is that they have access to an extraordinary of destructive potential and therefore we want people who have that access to also exercise good judgment and exercise control,” Reed said.

Reed, also a retired Army Police Officer, says the standards are extremely high for the military.

Policy also protects military members in a very structured environment says Reed.

“It can cause an erosion of trust cohesion and it's a problem for good order and discipline,” he added.

In addition, those that hold security clearance and participate in activities for which they can be blackmailed also represent a risk.
 

A plea agreement in San Diego reveals a million-dollar bribery scheme involving employees at three large banks and bags of cash handed over at a car wash prosecutors claim was used to launder money, similar to that in the AMC show “Breaking Bad.”

Brothers Israel Hechter, 47, and Amir Hechter, 42, both of San Diego and a business associate, Jack Prober, 56, of La Jolla pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit bank bribery and tax evasion.

Israel and Amir’s father, Zeev Hechter, 68 of Aventura, FL. also admitted to the conspiracy. He owns a car wash where the conspirators “laundered” the bribes, prosecutors said.

The men face maximum penalties of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Under the plea agreement, the defendants admit $1 million in bribes were paid to bank insiders at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, GMAC Mortgage, LLC, and National City Bank in exchange for Israel Hechter’s mortgage investment firm to win bids for mortgage loans sold on the secondary market.

Prosecutors claim bankers rigged the system by erasing or altering competitive bids.

Prober and Amir Hechter admitted paying the bankers by personal check to help the insiders avoid taxes on the illegal income.

The plea deal states that Zeev Hechter hand-delivered $330,000 in cash to a GMAC banker who is facing charges in the investigation.

GMAC Mortgage employee Robert Moreno, 42, of Tempe, AZ is accused of meeting Zeev Hechter on street corners in New York City and at the Florida car wash.

Federal prosecutors claim Moreno was handed a bag containing tens of thousands of dollars in cash each time they met.

The secondary mortgage market in the United States exceeds $10 trillion.

“Individuals and corrupt bank employees who attempt to tilt this playing field for their own advantage cannot be tolerated,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip L.B. Halpern said in court.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2015.

Moreno was arrested July 15 on suspicion of bank bribery. His case is still pending. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
 

The son of one of Mexico's most notorious outlaws pleaded guilty to drug charges in a San Diego courtroom Friday.

Serafin Zambada-Ortiz, 24, entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and marijuana into the U.S.

The son of reputed Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “Mayo” Zambada-Garcia is considered to be a major player in the cartel, federal prosecutors said.

Zamabada-Ortiz, who was arrested in November 2013 in Arizona, admitted he was trying to buy more than 100 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana in Culiacan with plans to transport the narcotics into the U.S. for sale in California.

As part of the plea deal, Zambada-Ortiz agreed to forfeit $250,000 as proceeds of this conspiracy.

Immediately after his arrest, the cartel boss’ son made headlines for his posts to social media. Images of bags of marijuana and piles of gifts on luxury cars were shared on what appeared to be his Twitter account.

One picture of gold and silver-plated assault rifles was posted with a caption that read, "Partying as always...taking care of us."

Zambada-Ortiz is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2015 at 9 a.m.

Under the agreement, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison with a $10 million fine.