Modesto bail agent seeks $20 million from county, claiming harassment by investigators
By Rosalio Ahumada, The Modesto Bee | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The claim, filed with the county
"
In the claim, investigator
District Attorney
County Counsel
Only one charged in death
Kauffman went missing in late
In a criminal complaint filed against Woody on
Carson says any suggestion he is involved in a homicide is absurd. Carson's attorney has advised him not to speak about specific details with news media. His attorney says Carson wants to clear his name, which frequently has been brought up by investigators questioning witnesses and suspects in the Kauffman case.
Singh, an agent of Singh's Bail Bonds, is charged with attempted shooting of an occupied home, soliciting the commission of a shooting at an inhabited home and soliciting the commission of a robbery. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Singh is accused of asking gang members to carry out a drive-by shooting and a home-invasion robbery where marijuana was being grown. Carson initially represented Singh in his criminal case, but he later withdrew from the case after Harris claimed there would be a conflict of interest.
The defendant remains free on
Herrera wrote in the claim that prosecutors have filed two other criminal cases against Singh, alleging his client violated state insurance regulations and committed welfare fraud.
Singh was driving away from his girlfriend's realty office when he was taken into custody on the welfare charge. His attorney said investigators asked for the keys to the realty office, and Singh cooperated even though the welfare fraud charges had nothing to do with the realty office.
"Nevertheless, investigators spent the entire day searching the office, its files, computers, and ended up seizing the majority of the company's files, computers and printers," Herrera wrote in the claim.
After the welfare fraud arrest, Bunch pressured Singh again to give investigators information about Carson. The investigator from the
Abuse of power claims
Herrera claims that Singh and his girlfriend, who is the mother of his two children, lost a business deal after investigators visited a title company used by Karan's real estate brokerage. The title company then stopped doing business with Karan and Singh.
The attorney says investigators have not provided any information that the real estate deal had anything to do with the investigation.
"It appears more and more obvious that the investigators are abusing their power and seeking to harm
As part of the Kauffman investigation, investigators searched Carson's property not long after Kauffman went missing in 2012.
More than a year later, Carson announced he was running for district attorney against Fladager. She was re-elected to a third term in June.
After hearing from friends that Bunch was stepping up his investigation into Kauffman's death, Singh called Bunch and asked the investigator, "What do you want from me?"
Bunch replied: "If you bring me the murder weapon, I won't arrest you," according to Singh's claim.
Investigators became more aggressive toward him as the June election neared, Singh's attorney says. Investigators were pressuring Singh more and more to "turn over Carson" or give them "something on Carson," according to the claim.
Since September, Singh has been arrested three times on charges unrelated to the Kauffman death. After his third arrest, Singh asked his criminal defense attorney to inquire about the charges and the "seemingly never-ending murder investigation," Herrera wrote in the claim.
Harris told Singh's defense attorney that the only way something can happen with Singh's charges is if he gives investigators information about Carson. According to Herrera, the prosecutor said, "If information against
Bee staff writer
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