Ex-Windsor mayor's home raided by criminal investigators

WINDSOR, Calif. - Since last April, investigators have been looking at the potential criminal and civil liability of former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli. 

Criminal investigators are going through materials taken from the North Bay politicians who once enjoyed the prospects of a bright political future. 

Early Wednesday morning, Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies served a search warrant on Foppoli's home. Foppoli has been accused of numerous acts of sexual misconduct and sexual assault by several women.  The sheriff's office told reporters it had removed documents pertinent to its investigation.

The accusers' attorney is a former longtime prosecutor and said such a search is ominous for Foppoli. "For a warrant to even be granted there has to be probable cause that there is evidence that a felony occurred or that that person committed a felony," said Traci Carrillo, the accusers' attorney. So far, no official charges have been filed against him yet. 

"Since, what April, the case has been under criminal investigation. I would say also under civil investigation," Carrillo said.

Carrillo also works with prosecutors on this case under the provisions of Marci's Law. "It allows a victim to actually have an advocate for them and their specific rights," said Carrillo.

If criminally charged, the former mayor's freedom would be a great risk. He will also face great financial peril if accusers succeed in civil court here the standard of proof is not as rigorous as criminal charges. 

"It's going after him for the same types of crimes but it would be on the civil path and it would be like a tort basically," said attorney Nicole Jaffee, Corrillo's co-counsel in these cases. There is also the potential that if others aided or abetted Foppoli, they could be dragged in criminally or civilly. 

"If we find that that there are other people that are going to be brought in or entities, we will do so,: said Jaffee.

The vehicles parked in from of the Foppoli home are not the ones reporters saw earlier as this scandal was developing, suggesting it may be rented out to others who refused comment.