C a l i f o r n i a ’ s O l d e s t N e w s pa p e r – E s t. 18 51
Volume 170 • Issue 22 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, February 22, 2021
2 indicted in Market momentum fraud scheme n $600,000 reportedly conned
out of EDC resident
U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of California News release SACRAMENTO — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Laxmikanth Biyani, 27, and Akshar Patel, 27, of New Jersey, charging them with alleged conspiracy to launder money and victimizing an El Dorado County resident out of more than $600,000. According to court documents, from October to December 2020, an El Dorado County woman sent over $600,000 to a caller who pretended to be an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The caller reportedly directed her to transfer money to him for safekeeping during the investigation of a drug trafficking case that involved her social security number. Investigators say some of the funds were transferred via Bitcoin and $270,000 was transferred through cash drops in the parking lot of an elementary school in El Dorado Hills. On four occasions in November and December 2020, Biyani allegedly picked up cash drops left by the victim and delivered or attempted to deliver the money to co-conspirators. On two of those occasions Patel reportedly assisted Biyani in the pickup and delivery of the cash n
Mountain Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
Statewide the median price of single family homes is up 22% compared to January of last year — in El Dorado County, 36.7%. Local realtors say a lack of inventory is one of the factors driving up prices.
Bidding wars heat up home sales
See Indictment, page 3
Median sales price of single-family homes
EDC officials:
Red tier move not yet here Cheyanne Neuffer Tahoe Daily Tribune During a press conference at a community vaccination site on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that based on current trend lines, counties could be moving out of the purple tier in coming weeks. “I anticipate a substantial number of counties moving out of the purple tier next week and even more in subsequent weeks,” said Newsom during the conference. However, he did say that not only is the nature of the virus making it hard to predict the future but that the variants are a caveat for predictions. Currently, the state has sequenced 189 cases of the U.K. variant, two of the South African variant and 1,834 of the West Coast variant. Newsom said he expects counties to be moving out of purple to red and even those in red moving into orange tiers as well. “Parts of the state are already beginning to open back up. Businesses are already taking shape with modifications nonetheless,” he said. “And, it is a priority to get our kids safely back to school.” El Dorado County, being one of those in the purple tier, has seen a decline in the adjusted case rate — a factor in moving tiers. However, Communications Director Carla Hass doesn’t think El Dorado County will be one of those moving next week. “It is highly unlikely that we will move into the red tier next week,” said Hass. Thursday’s coronavirus update did show a small bump from last week in the adjusted case rate. Last week, the adjusted case rate was 11.3 and as of Thursday the rate is 13.7. However, on Thursday just two new cases were reported. The overall trend shows the adjusted case rate continuing to fall. Just two weeks ago the rate was 22.7. The county’s adjusted case rate needs to be at seven or below for two weeks before moving tiers, which would loosen restrictions on local n
D VOTE In
ice #1 rs Cho Reade s
Jan. 2021
16 Yearng Runni
Jan. 2020
Amador
$386,360 $335,000 15.3%
El Dorado
$604,510
Placer
$609,100 $493,000 23.5%
$442,120
36.7%
Sacramento $459,770 $379,000 21.3% San Francisco
$1,745,000 $1,460,000
19.5%
Data provided by the California Association of Realtors
n
See Bidding wars, page 6
Locals drop off message of support Thomas Frey Staff writer Each Friday last year El Dorado Hills residents Tracy Garwood, Galen Ramos and other proponents of the Blue Lives Matter movement gathered at the intersection of Latrobe and White Rock roads in El Dorado Hills, waving “thin blue line” and American flags. After seeing friction and social unrest in the country following the deaths of Black Americans allegedly at the hands of law enforcement officers who used excessive force, with some, including Black Lives Matter advocates saying the solution is to “defund the police,” Ramos wanted to do more to back the badge. So he created a large
See red tier, page 6
n
Mountain Democrat photo by Thomas Frey
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Bryan Golmitz, left, Tracy Harwood, Sheriff John D’Agostini, Galen Ramos and Capt. Tasha Thompson stand in front of the sheriff’s headquarters with the “Defend the Police” sign Ramos created last year and presented to the Sheriff’s See sign, page 6 Office Wednesday.
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JUST $ Reg. $189.00
Buying a home has become a contest lately as bidding wars have made it costlier to purchase a home in El Dorado County. Local realtor Margaret Holland of Holland Realty said it’s not uncommon for sellers to receive multiple offers and more than 50% of the time those offers are over the asking price. “Properties are selling rapidly, some even before they hit the market,” she said. “I just sold a home down in the valley
Price Change %
county
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