By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com
The extortion of $1,100 from two Roseville businesses earned a 51-year-old man his third strike and a 54-years-to-life sentence in state prison the Placer County District Attorney's office announced today.
Raymond Richard Whitall's attorney argued that the sentence was unreasonable given the monetary amount of the crime. But citing his long criminal record, which includes a murder conviction, Superior Court Judge Charles Wachob said the state's "three-strike" law was appropriate.
In February 2006 while wearing a badge and presenting himself as a state health and safety officer, Whitall duped two Roseville businesses into giving him cash to not report health violations he found.
Authorities say Whitall, used this scam up and down the state - targeting people whose first language is not English.
The first business, a Mexican-food restaurant, paid him $1,000. The second, a Vernon street café, paid him $100.
Whitall was previously sentenced to 25 years to life for a Fresno County extortion scheme. If the recent crimes are enough to trigger a violation of his probation, which is likely, Whitall is facing 97 years to life, the DA's office said.
After his sentencing Wednesday, Whitall was returned to his cell at Folsom State Prison.
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