- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Federal grand jury indicts four men for home invasion, dressing as law enforcement officers
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A federal grand jury has handed down indictments against two Lake County men and two men from Sonoma County in the latest development in a case alleging that the four committed a home invasion robbery dressed as law enforcement officers.
US Attorney Melinda Haag’s office said Thursday that Eric Mendonca, 43, of Middletown and Jack David Pollack, 54, of Hidden Valley Lake made their initial appearances on the new indictment on Wednesday, as did Terry Jackson, 46, of Petaluma.
Mendonca – a former Petaluma Police officer and Lake County Sheriff’s deputy – along with Pollack and Jacksen were arrested Dec. 19 during a raid by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, as Lake County News has reported.
A fourth suspect, 54-year-old Petaluma resident Michael Puckett – who was arrested on Wednesday evening – made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday morning, the US Attorney’s Office reported. He is next scheduled to appear in court Friday for identification of counsel.
Mendonca has been released on a $50,000 bond, while Jacksen, Pollack and Puckett all remain in custody, according to officials.
The federal grand jury in San Francisco has charged the four men with robbery affecting interstate commerce, conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, possession of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, impersonating an officer and making a search or arrest while impersonating an officer, Haag’s office announced.
All four of the men have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They are scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco at 2 p.m. Jan. 22 before United States District Court Judge William Alsup.
The men conspired to commit a home invasion robbery in Hidden Valley Lake last Oct. 4, taking 48 marijuana plants valued at $96,000 and a variety of other items, according to court documents.
Pollack, who has a well pump business, is alleged to have cased the home, telling the owner he was responding to a call for water well maintenance, case documents stated.
Later, Jacksen – dressed up as a Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy carrying a holstered revolver and wearing a white cowboy hat – is alleged to have knocked on the door and informed the occupants that he was working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was there to conduct a search.
The investigation revealed that Jacksen then handcuffed and zip-tied the occupants before searching the house and stealing the marijuana plants.
It’s alleged that Mendonca provided Jacksen with the police uniforms.
During a search of Mendonca and Jacksen’s property in Middletown on Dec. 19 law-enforcement authorities located a holstered revolver, a set of Lake County Sheriff’s Office handcuffs, a white cowboy hat, various firearms and a cellular telephone containing images of Jacksen and Puckett posing in Lake County Sheriff’s Office uniforms with firearms hours before the robbery, officials reported.
Officials said that a search of Pollack’s residence uncovered approximately 20 pounds of marijuana.
The charges and the possible prison sentence each defendant faces are as follows:
Terry Jacksen
- One count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years for each count;
- One count of robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years;
- One count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of robbery: Life, with a mandatory consecutive minimum term of five years;
- One count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute marijuana: five years;
- One count of impersonating an officer: three years;
- One count of making a search while impersonating an officer: three years;
- One count of felon in possession of a firearm: 10 years.
Eric Mendonca
- One count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years for each count;
- One count of robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years;
- One count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of robbery: Life, with a mandatory consecutive minimum term of imprisonment of five years;
- One count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute marijuana: five years;
- One count of impersonating an officer: three years;
- One count of making a search while impersonating an officer: three years.
Jack Pollack
- One count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years for each count;
- One count of robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years;
- One count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of robbery: Life, with a mandatory consecutive minimum term of imprisonment of five years;
- One count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute marijuana: five years;
- One count of impersonating an officer: three years;
- One count of making a search while impersonating an officer: three years;
- One count of felon in possession of a firearm: 10 years;
- One count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine: 40 years, with a five year mandatory minimum;
- One count of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana: five years.
Puckett
- One count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years for each count;
- One count of robbery affecting interstate commerce: 20 years;
- One count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of robbery: Life, with a mandatory consecutive minimum term of imprisonment of five years;
- One count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute marijuana: five years;
- One count of impersonating an officer: three years;
- One count of making a search while impersonating an officer: three years.
Assistant United States Attorney Randy Luskey from Haag’s office is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Daniel Charlier-Smith.
The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Santa Rosa Resident Agency, Haag’s office said.
Investigators believe that the men may have committed several other similar robberies and are seeking additional victims.
Anyone with information on unreported home invasion robberies in Lake County is encouraged to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 707-262-4200.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
010813 Mendonca, Jacksen, Pollack and Puckett federal indictment by LakeCoNews