FRESNO -On August 1, 2019, a federal jury found Jose Jesus Carbajal, 33, of Waterford, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2014 until December 2017, Carbajal was part of a robbery crew that targeted and robbed marijuana growers of their marijuana and cash. Carbajal and the crew posed as law enforcement officers to gain access to the property, announced they had a search and seizure warrant, then tied up the victims and held them at gunpoint while robbing them of marijuana, cash, and other items.

Left behind at one of the crime scenes was a beanie in which DNA evidence was found and linked to Carbajal.  Forensic expertise and investigative assistance were provided by the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Services and the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

“Kudos to the criminal justice professionals who work with law enforcement agencies in investigations that might otherwise go nowhere, if not for their forensic science work,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.   “With the DNA and other forensic work they do, they have truly become the longer arm in the ‘long arm  of the law,’”

Carbajal is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28th. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on counts one and two, and mandatory consecutive sentence of seven years to life on count three.