No updates in suspected embezzlement at MHS Moorpark High School

Though the investigation continues, police said there was no news to report regarding allegations that workers at stole money from its food services department.

“(There are) no new updates right now. We’re still conducting the investigation,” said Moorpark Police Detective Ken Truitt. “There’s a lot of interviews to conduct . . . and we’re just working with what we have right now.”

Detective Matt Theobald of the Moorpark Police Department said he didn’t know when the investigation would be finished. The suspected crime was reported in November.


“It’s a complex investigation with a lot of information to go through and I don’t expect it to be completed anytime soon,” he said.

Theobald wouldn’t say how many people were involved or how much money was missing.

“(They’re) just estimations. They’re based on speculation, not really based on concrete evidence that we’ve gone through,” the detective said.

MUSD Superintendent Kelli Hays told the Moorpark Acorn in November that the money missing “(appeared) to be an amount that would not have affected the daily operations of past years or this current year’s budget.”

Although the investigation involves Moorpark High, Hays said district officials will keep a closer watch on cash management at the other school sites.

“The district has temporarily changed the control procedures with regard to cash management at the high school until permanent changes are implemented and staff is trained accordingly,” the superintendent said. “The district has taken steps to ensure that any such fraudulent activity has stopped and that any cash collected by food services is properly accounted for and deposited appropriately.”