FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Jose Jesus Carbajal, 31, of Waterford, charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. The Hobbs Act prohibits robbery and extortion that interferes with interstate commerce.
According to court documents, Carbajal was the leader of a home invasion crew that posed as police officers and robbed drug dealers. On one occasion, Carbajal allegedly led his crew to a house in Arbuckle, California, where they robbed the home’s occupants of money, marijuana, and other valuables before fleeing.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Melanie Alsworth and Ross Pearson are prosecuting the case.
If convicted of all counts, Carbajal faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
