FRESNO COUNTY – Fresno’s Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) and an investigator within the unit have earned federal honors for professionalism and excellence in the western district, which includes Sacramento and Fresno counties.
Awards were presented by U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert on Dec. 27.
“Congratulations to all of our award recipients on being chosen and for their efforts to address dangerous crimes that threaten the residents of the Eastern District of California,” said Talbert in a statement. “We owe a debt of gratitude to these agencies, detectives and agents who conduct extensive investigations to seek justice for victims and for the public. It is a privilege for our office to work alongside them to keep our communities safe.”
Fresno’s MAGEC division earned the award with recognition of two significant busts made within the last year. The first investigation led to the arrest of 25 individuals in Parlier tied to the El Norteños gang. Charges included murder, drug trafficking, gun trafficking and witness intimidation. A second investigation by MAGEC led to the arrest of 10 MS-13 gang members. The investigation was participated in by agencies from 17 agencies ranging from the Department of Justice to the Parlier Police Department.
Fresno Division investigator Sergeant Scott Schwamb was named as the Outstanding Investigator for the Fresno Division. Schwamb is a specialist with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Schwab investigated a case originating from information about illegal uses of video cameras recording minors.
“Despite having already worked a full shift, Schwamb reviewed the evidence and assembled an investigative team that evening and applied for a search warrant,” a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s General Office reads. “By early the next morning, evidence had been collected at the suspect’s home and work and the suspect had been interviewed. Schwamb continued to work on the case by preparing for trial and was the prosecution’s key law enforcement witness at trial.”
MAGEC has become an integral resource for communication between state and federal agencies in Fresno County. Through cooperation, the combination of agencies are able to share information and target groups and individuals who present a danger to society.
MAGEC received a grant of nearly $500,000 in 2022 to improve efforts to track gun crimes, particularly those committed using “ghost guns,” which are firearms with no tracking number.
“Major areas the project will focus on are comprehensive analysis of mapping, crime gun data, timely and systematic entry of all crime guns into e-Trace, community engagement via Valley Crime Stoppers, enhanced prosecution of gun crime cases in cooperation with PSN and targeting sources of supply of crime guns,” a statement from the Fresno Gang Task Force Collaboration reads.
A statewide valuation report found that Fresno is disproportionately affected by gang activity. Problems are driven by poverty and a lack of services according to studies by the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program.
“(There) are a variety of problems and issues the City of Fresno experiences daily,” the program claims in a statement. “Violence, crime, poverty and limited acute and mental health capabilities drive other local negative issues as well. Gangs, drugs, alcohol and guns are a sure-fire trigger for the significant problems described above. In terms of working on solutions to these issues, the City of Fresno works with community and neighborhood-based organizations to address and resolve the problems facing Fresno today.”
