A Strange One From The D.A.'s Office...
Posted by: Jubal | 01/18/2008 2:42 PM
I'm on the OC District Attorney's press release distribution list, and thus receive a steady stream of missives detailing the misdoings of OC's criminal class. The crimes detailed range from the weird to truly depraved.
From today's press release, here's a strange one that would make ready fodder for a TV crime procedural drama:
From today's press release, here's a strange one that would make ready fodder for a TV crime procedural drama:
HUNTINGTON BEACH FELON CHARGED WITH IMPERSONATING A FIRE FIGHTER AT DISASTER SCENES INCLUDING HURRICANE KATRINA AND WORLD TRADE CENTER
WESTMINSTER - A convicted felon accused of impersonating a Los Angeles County Fire Fighter Paramedic was charged today with two felony counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one misdemeanor count of fraudulently impersonating fire personnel. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in prison. The Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA) arrested James Charles Campbell, 45, on September 7, 2007 after serving a search warrant on his Huntington Beach following a two month investigation. Campbell is out on $20,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, February 19, 2008 in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Campbell has prior felony convictions in Arizona related to burglaries and the fraudulent misuse of credit cards. He was working in Arizona as an emergency medical technician for a local ambulance company, where his paramedic license was later revoked based on his felony convictions. Campbell obtained an Emergency Medical Technician license in May 1995 in the state of California. That license was revoked in November 1997 for his failure to disclose his prior felony convictions.
Campbell was arrested at his home shortly before 8:00 a.m. on September 7, 2007, by OCDA investigators. He is accused of possessing a handgun and a shotgun and stolen Los Angeles County Fire Department equipment in his house.
Between 2001 and the present, Campbell is accused of pretending to be a Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedic Captain who flies helicopters for the Department. He is accused of obtaining a uniform with Los Angeles patches and a badge, and carrying a wallet badge and firefighter identification with him at all times. Campbell is accused of carrying a firearm, which is a crime based on his prior felony convictions. The defendant is accused of showing up at the scenes of national and local disasters including the World Trade Center after September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Dean, and falsely representing himself as a Los Angeles County Fire Fighter Paramedic. He is accused of gaining access to secure fire areas in California and being on the front line of the Sawtooth fire in San Bernardino County and the Esperanza fire in Riverside County with a video camera. He is accused of being present at the Placentia Metrolink accident.
Campbell owns an Anaheim business, Frontline Safety Products, which sells fire safety equipment online and offers cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training courses. Under the false pretense of being a firefighter, Campbell has been hired to teach CPR to local Southern California government agencies and private industries.
Deputy District Attorney Andre Manssourian of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case.
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Jubal: Out of curiosity, did you receive the OC District Attorney's press release on January 18,2008? Only curious because the DA's press release is dated January 17, 2008 and after checking public criminal court records, the chronology of investigation and arrest of James Charles Campbell is somewhat confusing.
The press release came yesterday and was dated Jan. 18.
Thanks Jubal. Your posting "A Strange One From the DA" was directly on target. It appears that a James Charles Campbell was arrested in September 2007 and according to www.occourts.org records, there is no case number referenced but bond information states a James Charles Campbell, was exonerated on October 23, 2007, with NO warrants. See below information found on website:
Action Date Amount
Active 09/14/2007 $20,000.00
Exonerated 10/23/2007 $20,000.00
09/14/2007 $20,000.00 Bail Bond Service Agency Lexington National Insurance Corporation
Warrants-No warrants found for this case
The press release informing the public about James Charles Campbell dated January 17 or 18, the one POSTED on the OC District Attorney's website at www.orangecountyda.com is dated the 17th of January and references #08CF0180. The "08" case and the arraignment hearing referenced in the press release is still not entered into www.occourts.org.
However, James Charles Campbell does have ANOTHER hearing scheduled on February 19, 2008, at 8:00 a.m., N9, in a totally difference case, Case #AN1365311, an arraignment hearing was held on December 18, 2007, and it appears that Campbell now has TWO different hearings for TWO different cases, #08CF0180 and #AN1365311.
NO DOUBT, James Charles Campbell's arrest records are very strange and inconsistent.
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The information in the DA's press release sent to Matt Cunningham gets stranger and stranger. Apparently, there was a James CURT Campbell arrested on January 18, 2008, still in custody, OC jail. But this James Campbell was born on 3/18/82, and is not 45 years old like the Campbell reported in the DA's press release. The booking number is: 2431357, Date of Birth is 03-18-1982, arrested on 01-18-2008 at 19:55.
Either the Sheriff's Department or the OC District Attorney confused identities on a James Campbell. How many James Campbell who have impersonated a firefighter could there possibly be in the OC?