Uncovered SLO


Rod Jarmin and Tammy Jordan’s trial starts Monday

By KAREN VELIE Four years after they were arrested for seven counts of fraud and embezzlement, Real Property Lenders (RPL) of Paso Robles principals Rod Jarmin and Tammy Jordan’s trial will begin on Monday. In April 2014, Jarmin, 76, and... (Continue reading)

Harley-Davidson thumps California’s Franchise Tax Board

By STEW JENKINS A California appeals court ruled last week, in a lawsuit brought by the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company against the California Franchise Tax Board, that part of California’s statutory income tax scheme is unconstitutional because it discriminates against out... (Continue reading)

Victims chastise Kelly Gearhart at hearing

By KAREN VELIE Former North County developer Kelly Gearhart sat stone-faced Monday as eight of his financial fraud victims told a federal judge in Los Angeles how Gearhart showed no mercy for the elderly victims he preyed upon. Each of... (Continue reading)

Grover Beach hit with $2.3 million defamation claim

By JOSH FRIEDMAN A former Grover Beach police officer filed a $2.3 million defamation claim last week against the city, Chief Jim Copsey and Commander John Peters. Peters is slated to replace Copsey as chief during a swearing in ceremony Monday... (Continue reading)

Investigation further sullies SLO interim director

By KAREN VELIE A recent investigation into the management practices of a former Carmel city manager, who is currently working for the city of San Luis Obispo, revealed multiple violations of municipal code and financial mismanagement. In December, SLO City... (Continue reading)

APCD board split over Oceano dunes dust rule

By JOSH FRIEDMAN and KAREN VELIE The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District is attempting to rehabilitate its Oceano Dunes dust rule, but in the aftermath of an appellate court ruling against the regulation, some members of the... (Continue reading)

Did Steve Gesell game the city to get his settlement?

By JOSH FRIEDMAN and KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo’s embattled outgoing police chief Steve Gesell had applied for a new job several months prior to City Manager Katie Lichtig placing him on administrative leave, a job he was first in... (Continue reading)

SLO City Council, a bizarre reality show

By KAREN VELIE It was supposed to be a workshop about the San Luis Obispo City Council working together with an acceptable level of decorum. It turned into an eight-hour session with curses, yelling, threats to walk out and fist... (Continue reading)

Mike Seitz resigns from sanitation district

By KAREN VELIE San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District legal counsel Mike Seitz announced his resignation Wednesday shortly after an outside investigator began an audit of the sanitation district’s management practices. In his letter of resignation, Seitz said he is... (Continue reading)

SLO County Jail procedures deemed unconstitutional

By STEW JENKINS California’s 3rd District Court of Appeal recently upheld a ruling barring a county jail from requiring glass partitions between inmates and lawyers, a more than 40 year practice of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. In... (Continue reading)