It’s 50 years to life for man who killed his employer after being fired from Tulare dairy

A Visalia man who murdered his employer was sentenced in Tulare County Superior Court on Wednesday.

He was given 50-years-to life in prison.

Jorge Rivera was convicted in February for the killing on Sept. 3, 2019, when the 29-year-old shot Tulare dairyman Anthony “Tony” Dragt multiple times with a 9mm handgun. According to police, Rivera had been fired from Dragt’s dairy and had been reportedly looking for Dragt at several locations on the day he was murdered.

That included Dragt’s home and at the Tulare dairy where the shooting occurred.

After the killing, a car similar to Rivera’s was seen on surveillance leaving the area of the crime. Rivera was arrested several hours later driving the same vehicle. Several guns were found in the car, including an AR-15 and the murder weapon.

This story was originally published March 29, 2023 at 2:58 PM.