A man who Riverside County sheriff's officials suspect embezzled $250,000 from a San Jacinto-area Jewish religious center is a retired Hemet police officer.
Gerald Max Beamesderfer Jr., who often goes by his middle name, was arrested Tuesday, Feb. 9, after a yearlong investigation into a missing $250,000 from the center, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The 64-year-old Hemet man was released from jail Wednesday on $133,000 bail.
Beamesderfer worked for the Hemet Police Department for 19 years before leaving on an industrial disability retirement in 2004, Deputy Chief Rob Webb said via email. Webb said Police Department officials have had "little or no contact" with Beamesderfer for the past 12 years.
Though the Riverside County District Attorney's Office had not filed formal charges against Beamesderfer on Thursday, Webb said Beamesderfer's alleged involvement in the embezzlement perturbed him.
"It is very upsetting that anyone would take advantage of a place of worship, but it sickens me that a retired detective could be involved in this type of case," Webb said.
Riverside County sheriff's officials on Thursday refused to release the name of the religious center the money was embezzled from.
Leaders of the center reported the missing money in December 2013 and told investigators they believed Beamesderfer – the congregation's sole financial officer – was responsible, according to a Sheriff's Department news release.
After the investigation, deputies served a search warrant for financial records in the 1200 block of Bishop Drive in Hemet. A second warrant was served in the 300 block of Lyon Avenue in Hemet, where deputies reported finding construction equipment and other property believed to be related to the investigation.
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