Brian Melley, Author at Valley News

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2018, file photo, attorney Michael Avenatti, speaks outside court in New York.An indictment filed against Avenatti, Wednesday, April 10, alleges he stole millions of dollars from clients, didn’t pay his taxes, committed bank fraud and lied in bankruptcy proceedings. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Avenatti faces 39 charges

by Brian Melley Associated PressApril 12, 2019

LOS ANGELES — Attorney Michael Avenatti has been charged in a 36-count federal indictment alleging he stole millions of dollars from clients, did not pay his taxes, committed bank fraud and lied in bankruptcy proceedings, federal prosecutors in…

U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna announces charges against lawyer Michael Avenatti at a news conference in Los Angeles Monday, March 25, 2019. Hanna said there's no political connection to wire and bank fraud charges filed against Avenatti, who's a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. Hanna said the charges announced Monday began with Internal Revenue Service tax collection efforts and came to prosecutors in an ordinary way. The case alleges in part that Avenatti collected a $1.6 million settlement for a client and used it for his own interests. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)

Avenatti charged with extortion

by Brian Melley Associated Press, and Larry Neumeister Associated PressMarch 25, 2019

This undated law enforcement photo provided by the Sacramento County, Calif., Sheriff's Office shows Joseph James DeAngelo. DeAngelo, a suspected California serial killer who committed at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes throughout the state in the 1970s and '80s was identified Wednesday, April 25, 2018, as a former police officer, an official said. (Sacramento County Sheriff's Office via AP)

DNA Leads to Arrest In Serial Crime Spree

by Don Thompson Associated Press, and Brian Melley Associated PressApril 26, 2018

Louise Anna Turpin, left, with her attorney Jeff Moore, and her husband David Allen Turpin, second from right, appears in court for their arraignment in Riverside, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. Prosecutors filed 12 counts of torture, seven counts of dependent adult abuse, six counts of child abuse and 12 counts of false imprisonment against Turpin and his wife, Louise Anna Turpin. Authorities say the abuse left the children malnourished, undersized and with cognitive impairments. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool)

Prosecutor: Parents Tortured Children

by Amy Taxin Associated Press, and Brian Melley Associated PressJanuary 19, 2018

A lighted sign advertises deals at Harborside marijuana dispensary, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Starting New Year's Day, recreational marijuana can be sold legally in California. (AP Photo/Mathew Sumner)

Retail Sales Begin in California

by Brian Melley Associated Press, and Terence Chea Associated PressJanuary 1, 2018

Homes stand along the beach as the sun is visible through thick smoke from a wildfire Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017, in Ventura, Calif. A dramatic new wildfire erupted in Los Angeles early Wednesday as firefighters battled three other destructive blazes across Southern California. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Bel-Air Wildfire Joins the Siege Across SoCal

by Michael Balsamo Associated Press, and Brian Melley Associated PressDecember 7, 2017

This undated photo provided by Eric Paddock shows his brother, Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock. On Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival killing dozens and wounding hundreds. (Courtesy of Eric Paddock via AP)

Gunman May Have Considered Other Targets, Including Fenway

by Michael Balsamo Associated Press, and Brian Melley Associated PressOctober 6, 2017

This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows Marilou Danley. Danley, 62, returned to the United States from the Philippines on Tuesday night, Oct. 3, 2017, and was met at Los Angeles International Airport by FBI agents, according to a law enforcement official. Authorities are trying to determine why Stephen Paddock, Danley's boyfriend, killed dozens of people in Las Vegas Oct. 1, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP, File)

FBI Questions Girlfriend

by Ken Ritter Associated Press, Michael Balsamo Associated Press, and Brian Melley Associated PressOctober 5, 2017

In this Sept. 6, 2017 photo, Michael Howard Hilburn, 42, and his son Michael Evan, 5, pose for photo in the shelter at a convention center in Houston. The father and son were living with a relative in west suburban Katy before the Category 4 hurricane hit along the Gulf Coast on Aug. 26. The elder Hilburn says the twosome have been bouncing around the country homeless for about two years, struggling ever since he lost his job while dealing with a health issue. The Hilburns are now among the 3,000 people staying at a convention center set up as a shelter next to the NRG football stadium in southwest Houston. (AP Photo/Brian Melley)

After Harvey, Homeless Children Return to School

by Brian Melley Associated Press, and Sally Ho Associated PressSeptember 11, 2017

Protesters march towards the off-duty officer's home in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. A Los Angeles policeman is under investigation after a video appears to show him firing a single round during an off-duty tussle with a 13-year-old boy. No one was injured but two teenagers were arrested after the incident, which spurred dozens of people to protest against police Wednesday night in the streets of Anaheim, where the officer lives and the confrontation occurred. (Joshua Sudock/The Orange County Register via AP)

Off-Duty Officer’s Fight With Teens Sets Off Protests

by Amy Taxin Associated Press, and Brian Melley Associated PressFebruary 24, 2017