September 28, 201-According to reports two people have been arrested after posing as victims of the San Bruno gas explosion.

According to prosecutors two more people have been arrested after posing as victims of the September 9th, PG&E gas explosion in order to get gift cards and other aid available to the explosion victims. The two have been identified as Deonte Bennett of San Leanardo and Niesha Taylor of Fairfield. Both have been charged this week with several felony counts that include perjury, identity theft and commercial burglary.

According to authorities Bennett, Taylor, Sonya Smith age 44 and Lisa Justin age 42 provided false addresses oh homes that were a part of the gas pipeline explosion area to the disaster assistance center. Joe O’Sullivan, attorney for Bennett stated he believes she will be found innocent of any wrongdoing. According to the San Mateo Daily Journal Bennett and Taylor were freed on $25,000 bail.

This has been a public service message from the San Francisco accident attorneys at Ehline Law Firm: 50 Francisco Street
Suite 460, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 684-7688

September 20, 2010-According to reports a San Francisco real estate investor has been indicted for involvement a $25 million Ponzi scheme.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated Maher Talah Muhawieh age 31 of San Francisco has been indicted for his involvement in a $23 million Ponzi scheme that victimized over 80 people in the Mission district and the Haight.

The real estate investor used the money he obtained from the victims of the scheme to pay off debts and also transferred money to other accounts. Muhawieh used lenders money to pay interest on loans from other lenders, to invest in retail businesses located in San Francisco and for personal expenses.

Muhawieh made an appearance in court on Friday, where he was charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and posted $375,000 in bail. The San Francisco real estate investor has a scheduled court date on September 21.

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September 16, 2010-According to reports an 81 year old victim of last weeks gas explosion has been identified.

The 81 year old has been identified as Elizabeth Torres, according to the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office.
Torres who died in the disaster was the mother of nine children and according to her family members, her body was found outside of her home located at 1660 Claremont Drive.

The home was leveled by the explosion and was around the corner from where the Pacific Gas & Electric Company gas pipeline ruptured. It was also down the street from the home where Jacqueline Greig and her daughter Janessa died in the explosion.

Another victim Jessica Morales age 20 died as a result of the San Bruno explosion in her boyfriend’s home a few blocks away, located on Earl Avenue.

According to officials there are still three people that are unaccounted for. Torres according to her daughter-in-law Teresa Whorton was home Thursday waiting for employees from the PG&E company to check out a non-working gas stove and complaints of smelling gas.

Whorton had visited with Torres earlier in the day and family members stated Torres was born and raised in San Francisco. The 81 year old had spent decades in the San Bruno home that was destroyed in the explosion. They stated that after Torres husband died a few years ago one of her daughters moved into the home to help Torres who was in a wheelchair.

This has been a free public service message from:
Ehline Law Firm
San Francisco Personal Injury Attorney
50 Francisco Street, Suite 460
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 684-7688

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September 9, 2010-According to reports by a San Bruno Gas explosion attorney, the 24 inch natural gas main that exploded killed six people and injured dozens.

Residents of San Bruno, a San Francisco suburb were forced to flee their homes after a massive fire was sparked by a broken 24 inch gas main.

According to officials a large fireball was witnessed about 6 p.m. Thursday evening that set dozens of homes on fire. The explosion occurred in the area of the Crestmoor community in the vicinity of Skyline Boulevard and Sneath Lane.

The first responders on the scene initially believed a large commercial aircraft had crashed in the area, but later found it was a natural gas explosion from a broken gas main near the San Francisco International Airport.

Eyewitnesses and motorists on Interstate 280 stated they witnessed flames reaching as high as 60 feet in the air and a fireball.

Approximately 200 firefighters from the Bay area responded to the six alarm fire that had damaged 120 homes by 11:00 p.m. when only half of the fire had been contained. Helicopters dropped water and fire retardant on the flames.

According to First responders one person was found deceased on the sidewalk and five other bodies were found inside of burned homes.

San Mateo County opened emergency shelters and Karl Sonkin spokesman for the South San Francisico Medical Center stated they received a total of fifteen patients. Nine of the patients were treated and released, four patients were sent to a burn unit at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. The spokesperson for Saint Francis Memorial Hospital stated three of the burn victims were in stable, but critical condition and the fourth patient is in stable condition.

San Francisco General Hospital stated they received five patients, three that were in critical condition, one in serious condition and one in good condition.

The spokesman for Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame stated they received five patients, with minor injuries that transported themselves to the hospital.

Another public service message from the San Mateo personal injury attorney at:

Ehline Law 50 Francisco Street, Suite 460, San Francisco, CA‎ – (415) 684-7688

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