Probation on Multi-Million Dollar Agricultural Theft – Fresno County Case F17903597
Client was accused of participating in a multi-million dollar agricultural theft, which spanned many county lines. It was alleged that Client and his codefendant — both bee keepers — stole thousands of agricultural beehive boxes, which were being leased out to farmers to aid in pollination. The case was investigated by numerous county agencies, and took over 3 years to litigate.
Attorney Friedman was able to show the DA that his client’s level of culpability was much smaller than that of his codefendant. He also showed that there was insufficient evidence to prove that his client had actually stolen the beehives. Rather, the most favorable interpretation of the State’s evidence was that Friedman’s client had merely possessed the stolen property.
Given the large value of loss, the client faced substantial punishment and mandatory state prison time. However, due to a fortuitous change in the law, and skilled negotiations, Mr. Friedman was able to secure his client a generous grant of probation.
The case was discussed in various news outlets, including Bloomberg and the Fresno Bee.