Bakersfield, CA – Noel Carter, 45, a Bakersfield man, has been hit with a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring with corrupt police officers to sell methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as bank fraud and making false statements on a loan application.
According to court records, Carter allegedly conspired with Bakersfield Police Department officers Damacio Diaz and Patrick Mara from April 2012 to August 2015. The indictment alleges that Diaz and Mara deliberately failed to submit seized drugs into the BPD evidence room and instead provided the narcotics to Carter so he could sell them for profit.
Carter was also accused of conspiring with Mara to unlawfully manufacture, process, and sell marijuana for profit. Mara allegedly provided Carter with marijuana to process for sale.
Diaz previously pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, receiving bribes, and making a false income tax return. Mara also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The superseding indictment adds five charges of bank fraud against Carter, alleging that he knowingly and fraudulently negotiated checks from Pacific Workplaces customers into his personal bank account at Chase Bank for his own gain. Carter was a contract manager for the virtual office rental business.
The indictment also alleges that Carter made a false statement on a loan application for a new Mercedes-Benz automobile, claiming a gross monthly income of $20,000 from Pacific Workplaces, when in fact, his actual income was approximately $4,000.
If convicted, Carter faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian K. Delaney and Angela Scott are prosecuting the case. Carter is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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