Key takeaways from The Bee’s coverage of Madera County candidate’s checkered past
A candidate for the Madera County Board of Supervisors is facing scrutiny over a 25-year history that includes a criminal conviction, a restraining order and ongoing legal disputes tied to his businesses. Charles “Brook” Allen says his past missteps have shaped him into a stronger candidate.
FULL STORY: Madera supervisor candidate has history of criminal, legal troubles spanning 25 years
Here are key takeaways
• The race: Allen, 48, is running in the June primary for the District 5 seat representing eastern Madera County, including Tesoro Viejo, Oakhurst and Coarsegold. He has served on the Yosemite Unified school board since 2022 and was endorsed by former Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler.
• 2000 vehicular manslaughter: At 21, Allen was driving under the influence in Alpine County near the Nevada border when he struck Frances Brooks, a 61-year-old retired schoolteacher, who later died at a nearby hospital. He pleaded no contest, served 30 months at the Jamestown and Miramonte fire camps and later began mentoring students at his auto shop to honor Brooks’ work in education, he told The Fresno Bee.
• Restraining order and divorce: Allen’s ex-wife, Dianna Del Bianco, obtained a five-year restraining order in 2008 and stayed at a domestic violence shelter with their young son. Court records include accusations of verbal and emotional abuse, controlling behavior and one alleged push. Allen acknowledged poor decisions but said the arguments never became physical.
• Custody and family: Allen eventually lost custody of his son and said he has not seen him, now in his early 20s, in about two years.
• Business legal issues: Allen owns Lepley Trees and The Rusty Piston auto shop. Their former parent company, Rusty Piston Inc., was suspended by the California Franchise Tax Board in 2021, with $17,548 owed as of mid-April 2026.
• Active cases: Allen is a defendant in a misdemeanor case for failing to maintain workers’ compensation insurance, which he attributes to an “unhappy ex-employee” and is moving to dismiss. He also faces a civil lawsuit alleging Lepley Trees removed a tree without consent, which he denies.
• His response: Allen quoted Thomas Edison — “Success is nothing but a whole string of failures” — and said his experiences make him a more qualified candidate. “A representative of the people needs to be among the people to be able to make the best decisions for the people,” he said.
• Other candidates: Also in the District 5 race are former supervisor and assemblyman Frank Bigelow, Navy veteran and business owner Melanie “Mel” Barker, and small businessman and rancher Mark Reed.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 2:17 PM.