Stockton Attorney Allen Sawyer to Provide Criminal Defense for Debarred San Francisco Auto Tower Facing Multiple Felony Welfare Fraud Charges
As reported in a recent KQED news article, California criminal defense attorney Allen Sawyer of The Law Offices of Allen Sawyer has taken on as a client a debarred San Francisco auto tower who is accused of several felony welfare fraud charges.
Sawyer will be defending Jose Badillo, co-owner of three San Francisco auto tow companies—including one recently barred from doing business in the city—against six felony charges related to criminal welfare fraud. According to KQED, Badillo allegedly participated with his wife and business partner, Abigail Fuentes, in multiple welfare fraud schemes, including the defrauding of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency in order to receive public benefits. Badillo reportedly provided false information in his application in order to obtain welfare funds from Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKS, which he allegedly received while his and Fuentes’s tow truck companies earned over $2 million in gross annual income. Also according to KQED, Badillo’s welfare application was approved by Fuentes, who worked as a senior eligibility worker at the Human Services Agency.
Welfare fraud is defined under California law as the provision of fraudulent information to obtain public benefits or as the provision of these benefits by officials or employees to persons not eligible to receive them. Penalties for welfare fraud convictions can include incarceration, fines, and other consequences. California citizens charged with welfare fraud or who discover themselves as targets of welfare fraud investigations should immediately contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer. California criminal defense attorney Allen Sawyer has successfully provided criminal fraud defense at the state and federal level, including the following types of fraud cases:
The news of Sawyer’s criminal defense of Badillo comes concurrently with reports about the debarment of Auto Towing, one of the three towing companies owned by Badillo and Fuentes. Auto Towing was debarred after the company was found to have posted unauthorized no parking signs in a bank parking lot and then to have towed customers’ cars from the bank’s property without permission. The debarment of Auto Towing involves a five-year ban from bidding on or receiving contracts with San Francisco. This matter of debarment, Sawyer wants to make clear, is discrete from Badillo’s criminal case surrounding welfare fraud.
“It’s still pending,” said Sawyer to KQED about the criminal fraud case. “All the facts are still being ascertained. You know, there’s a lot of discovery, there’s a lot of dynamics at play here, and I think people need to keep an open mind.”
About California Defense Attorney Allen Sawyer
With offices in Stockton, San Jose, and Sacramento, The Law Offices of Allen Sawyer comprise unparalleled attorney representation for a range of legal matters across the state. Additionally, Mr. Sawyer can be seen regularly on local television news, handling cases for politicians, celebrities, sports figures, and matters in the public eye.
Sawyer brings over 20 years of experience as a California attorney, including time spent as a prosecutor, to his California defense attorney practice. Misdemeanors and felonies, Allen Sawyer litigates California criminal defense cases including, but not limited to the following: California Criminal Defense, Stockton Drug Crimes Defense, California Embezzlement Defense, Federal Crimes Defense, and San Francisco White Collar Defense.
His distinctive legal experience and his passionate dedication uniquely situate him to provide criminal defense to clients in Stockton, Sacramento, San Francisco, Northern California, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Mr. Sawyer fights for the rights of the accused. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact Allen Sawyer directly.