The Oakdale Leader has uncovered information indicating that one of the subjects arrested in the Tuesday, March 15 standoff on West Avenue in the city is a prosecution witness in a high-profile homicide case in the Stanislaus County Superior Court involving Frank Carson, a Modesto defense attorney. Carson is on trial, along with seven other individuals, including three former California Highway Patrol officers, for the murder of Turlock resident Korey Kauffman.
After the three-hour incident Tuesday, police declined to name one of the suspects arrested without further explanation. It was noted that during the standoff that investigators from the Stanislaus District Attorney’s Office arrived at the scene and were present at Oakdale Police Department afterwards.
Various sources contacted by The Leader have identified the individual police took into custody as Patrick Hampton, 44, of Oakdale. Hampton is named as a prosecution witness and has appeared in court during the Carson preliminary trial motions testifying that Carson recruited him to “deal with” thieves stealing from his property in exchange for his legal services and reduced bail costs.
The Stanislaus Superior Court criminal complaint names Hampton in a course of action where it accuses Carson of soliciting Ronald Cooper and Hampton to “commit assault with great bodily injury on unidentified persons found to be trespassing” on his property.
When contacted on Wednesday, March 16, Oakdale Police Chief Lester Jenkins confirmed it was Hampton that was taken into custody by his officers. Jenkins said police learned Hampton was involved when he was named as the one allegedly holding two women against their will which sparked the incident.
Jenkins added that after Hampton was taken into custody, he was turned over to Stanislaus County District Attorney Investigator Steve Jacobson, who is the chief investigator for the prosecution in the Carson homicide trial.
Sheriff’s records show Hampton was finally booked into Stanislaus County Jail at 10:34 p.m. that day, March 15, for a violation of probation arrest warrant and fresh drug charges.
When contacted, defense attorneys in the case said they were notified of the arrest that afternoon.
According to the Leader’s sister paper, The Turlock Journal that is covering the trial, Hampton was an inmate when he first met Carson. Hampton sent a letter to a district attorney investigator in January of last year that detailed his dealings with Carson.
Hampton told investigators he had met Carson in 2011 when Carson agreed to represent him for $1,000 to $1,500 on a probation violation.
Prior to a bail reduction hearing, Hampton said he and Carson had a private conversation in which Carson asked him if he was “familiar with people in Turlock,” according to the affidavit. Hampton admitted he did and Carson asked if he knew the Cooley brothers. Hampton replied that he knew them from jail. Hampton said Carson looked at his file and said he thought Hampton was the type of guy who “takes care of sh—.”
According to the affidavit, after Hampton was later bailed out by defendant Praveen Singh’s bail bond company, he was contacted by Carson, who asked him if he had a chance to “get at them” and “take care of that.”
Hampton told the investigators he later told Carson it had been taken care of, though he actually hadn’t done anything.
He later jumped his bail and was a fugitive. When he was caught again, he had a conversation with Carson, in which Carson said he had a lot of “nerve” in asking Carson to help him again.
