Former president of nonprofit pleads not guilty to embezzlement in California

The former president of a nonprofit that serves as the advocacy arm for all the school districts in Riverside County pleaded not guilty today to embezzlement and other charges stemming from the alleged theft of $40,000 from business accounts to pay personal expenses.

William Clarence Newberry, 59, previous head of the Riverside County School Boards Association, was charged in June with the embezzlement count, as well as misappropriation of funds and two counts of grand theft.   

Jesus Holguin took over as acting president of the RCSBA this summer, according to the California School Boards Association.   

Newberry, who is free on a $40,000 bond, was arraigned before Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Oct. 30 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to the District Attorney's Office, its investigators were alerted last November to possible illicit use of funds belonging to the RCSBA, along with a club at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Corona.

The RCSBA represents the county's 23 school districts, providing assistance with promotional campaigns and lobbying on behalf of the districts to oppose or support legislation, according to its website.   

RCSBA Treasurer Tom Hunt brought his findings to the D.A.'s office not long after he was appointed to his position, culminating in an investigation that uncovered numerous instances between December 2013 and February 2017 when Newberry allegedly used the organization's debit card to pay his bills and amortize other debts, prosecutors said.   

The alleged theft of members' dues payments totaled $17,000, according to the agency.

Through additional scrutiny of Newberry's transactions, it was determined that the defendant had allegedly drained $23,000 from the Roosevelt High Climate Booster Club.

Newberry is a prior member of the Corona-Norco Unified School District Board of Education. He has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions.

Ex-employee arrested, accused of embezzling from Sweetwater Union High School District

A former Sweetwater Union High School District worker was arrested on suspicion of embezzling thousands of dollars from the district while she was an employee.

Danya Margarita Williams, 42, is accused of stealing more than $50,000 in money orders between June 2016 and November 2017, the Chula Vista Police Department said. Williams was arrested March 5 and was booked into the Las Colinas Detention Facility, the department announced. Her bail was set at $50,000 and she bailed out Tuesday night, according to the District Attorney.

In a press release, police detailed what led to Williams’ arrest: District officials discovered the embezzlement in late-2017 and reported it to the Chula Vista Police Department. Police detectives, working in coordination with District officials, conducted a thorough investigation. Detectives determined that Williams, while employed by the District, appropriated money orders in excess of $50,000. According to the district, she worked there from October 2001 until February of 2018.

According to police, as a part of her job Williams was responsible for processing money orders received for fingerprint background investigations at the District. Background investigations are required during employment screening. Each applicant pays for the cost of the background investigation, which can range from $52 to $75 per applicant, using money orders. Instead of processing the money in accordance with District requirements, Williams deposited the money into her personal bank account.

After considerable investigation Detectives obtained a warrant for Williams’ arrest.

Williams’ job title was risk management specialist in the district’s accounting department, according to district records from 2017.

Public records for 2017 showed Williams’ earnings including benefits while with the district were $86,877.54 -- a 12 percent raise from her salary from the previous year.

Sweetwater District spokesman Manny Rubio said Williams left her job with the district in February 2018. She had been working in the district's human resources department up until her departure, according to Rubio.

Rubio said Monday, March 11th, there will be a budget meeting where the district will present a plan to balance the budget by the end of 2019.

Williams will be arraigned March 12th, at 1:30 p.m.

Deputy was center of Logan Heights church embezzlement probe

More than $100,000 went missing from New Hope Friendship Baptist Church in 2008 and 2010, according to new Sheriff’s Department investigation report Friday.

The investigation was an Internal Affairs probe into Lt. Devera Scott. Scott was also the treasurer for New Hope Friendship Baptist Church during the time the money went missing.

The report claims Scott admitted to church officials she took the money. However, the church told investigators they did not want to press charges as Scott had promised the church she would it pay it all back through monthly payments, and a portion of her retirement.

The church also told investigators they were in the business of forgiveness and did not want to ruin Scott’s career, according to the documents.

Investigators also learned that Scott made the church a beneficiary to a $300,000 life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy.

The internal investigation became public Friday, following the ruling of a San Diego judge. The decision comes after local media, including 10News, sued to keep police unions from blocking departments from releasing records related to officer misconduct.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department was not part of the suit and has been releasing cases pursuant to SB1421, according to sheriff's department Lt. Karen Stubkjaer.

Scott retired from the sheriff’s department on March 22, 2013, before the investigation into the missing church money was complete according to the documents.

No charges were ever made against Scott.

Other court filings suggest Scott might have been facing financial problems at the time.

10News reached out to the church for comment. The pastor referred 10News to their attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.

10News also attempted reaching out to Scott but has not returned our request for comment.

Man extradited from Spain faces charges in Santa Ana charter school embezzlement case

More than a decade ago, an audit uncovered that the executive director of a Santa Ana charter school had funneled millions in state funds to several businesses he owned.

After being extradited from Spain, Emilio Vazquez arrived in Orange County recently to face decade-old felony charges that include misappropriation of public funds, forgery and grand theft, the Orange County district attorney’s office said Wednesday.

Vazquez served as the executive director of Albor Charter School from 2002 to 2006. Allegations of questionable spending, fiscal mismanagement and conflicts of interest led the Santa Ana Unified School District to revoke Albor’s charter in 2005.

Although a legal battle allowed the school to stay open for the next school year, Vazquez closed Albor in March 2006 without notice to students or staff.

Because Albor failed to perform financial accounting that listed liabilities and assets, and because of concern about potential fraud and misappropriation of funds, the county Department of Education called in a team to perform an audit.

A 118-page report found that Vazquez had funneled millions in state funds to businesses controlled by Vazquez, his wife and their associates. It is unclear how the money was spent.

The audit findings were turned over to the district attorney’s office and charges were brought in March 2009. That same month, authorities issued an arrest warrant for Vazquez.

Later that year, authorities found Vazquez in Spain and the Department of Justice submitted a request for his extradition. The extradition was approved in April 2010, but while Vazquez was released on bail, he fled to China and was not surrendered to the U.S., according to the district attorney’s office.

This year, Vazquez was deported from China back to Spain and surrendered to U.S. marshals. He arrived in Orange County on Feb. 8. He is in custody on $3.12-million bail and must prove the money came from a legal source before posting bail.

Treasurer convicted of embezzling from Nipomo High nonprofit

A treasurer for a nonprofit organization that supports Nipomo High School agriculture students faces a few months in San Luis Obispo County Jail after pleading no contest Tuesday to embezzling money from the group.

Chandra Dee Mehlschau, 48, of Nipomo pleaded no contest Tuesday to a felony charge of grand theft by embezzlement of more than $950.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office alleges that between December 2015 and April 2018, Mehlschau stole approximately $11,000 from Ag Friends while serving as its treasurer.

The booster group supports members of the Nipomo High School’s FFA program, providing scholarships and other educational opportunities to students interested in leadership in the field of agriculture, according to a District Attorney’s Office news release.

Years after excessive pay scandal, criminal case moves forward against ousted Centinela Valley superintendent

More than a year since his arrest and nearly five since the Centinela Valley Union High School District was rocked by a corruption scandal, disgraced former Superintendent Jose Fernandez will be back in court next week.

Fernandez, 59, will appear in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Monday for a preliminary hearing that could last five days and include testimony from as many as 30 witnesses.

A judge will determine whether there’s enough evidence to try Fernandez for allegedly carrying out an embezzlement scheme in which he duped school board members and taxpayers in the tiny, low-income district so he could enjoy lavish compensation and unusual perks.

He was arrested in August 2017 on a dozen felony counts, including embezzlement by a public official, misappropriation of public funds, grand theft and conflict of interest. If convicted, Fernandez could be sentenced to up to 15 years in state prison.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office launched its investigation in February 2014 after the Daily Breeze revealed the superintendent had collected $663,000 in total compensationleading the tiny school district serving students in Hawthorne and Lawndale. It was later learned Fernandez had actually collected $750,000 in compensation in 2013.

The newspaper also uncovered a nearly $1 million, low-interest home loan from the district and a $750,000 life insurance policy Fernandez took out before the school board could approve it.

Prosecutors alleged he “surreptitiously” buried these and other perks in an overwhelming volume of documents that went before school board members.

Where the case stands

Few details of the criminal case have emerged since Fernandez surrendered his passport and was freed on $495,000 bond in September 2017.

The preliminary hearing was postponed several times last year, most recently because Deputy District Attorney Stefan Mrakich was assigned to a murder trial in November.

Several past and present Centinela Valley officials — including retired Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Bob Cox, former school board member Sandra Suarez, and current trustees Gloria Ramos and Hugo Rojas — have confirmed they received subpoenas out of the blue last week.

Fernandez is still making payments on the loan to the school district for his $1.6 million home, said Ron Hacker, assistant superintendent of business services.

Fernandez’s two-story house in Ladera Heights and 17 bank accounts were among assets frozen days before his arrest because investigators feared he might use it as collateral to make bail, pay for his defense or liquidate to avoid paying restitution, according to a search warrant.

In January 2018, Fernandez asked a judge to release funds so he could hire a new attorney, but the request was denied and he was ordered to report to a financial evaluator, records show.

He is now represented by Vicki Podberesky, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney with expertise in white-collar cases. She could not be reached for comment.

Fernandez answered a phone call from a reporter late last week, but said he could not talk and hung up.

No indictment from grand jury

The defense is not allowed to present its side at a preliminary hearing, but Podberesky’s cross-examination of witnesses could offer a glimpse of her strategy.

Although it was never revealed publicly, the District Attorney’s Office convened a grand jury nearly three years ago to consider criminal charges against Fernandez. However, no indictment was ever issued, which could explain why it took prosecutors more than three years to bring charges against him.

According to court records, a judge in October 2018 granted Podberesky access to the sealed transcripts from secret grand jury proceedings in May 2016.

Greg Risling, a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office, declined to comment on the proceedings.

Moving past a ‘low point’

Ramos and Rojas, who served on the school board at the time of the controversy, both said they are pleased to see the case move along.

“I look forward to seeing that Mr. Fernandez gets what he deserves,” Rojas said.

Ramos said Centinela Valley, which operates three traditional high schools and a continuation school, has made strides in rebuilding the community’s trust.

“Although it was extremely painful, we’re doing so much better academically, with community relations and having tight relationships with feeder schools,” she said.

District officials meet more frequently with parents and leaders from feeder schools, a sign that Centinela Valley has moved past a “low point” that damaged its reputation, said board President Daniel Urrutia. He was elected in November 2015, long after Fernandez was fired.

Current Superintendent Gregory O’Brien, who was hired that year, also said district officials have moved past the scandal, but that it remains in the back of their minds.

When the district approved early retirement incentives for employees, for example, “the question came up of, ‘Do you plan to take advantage?’ ” O’Brien said. “I said, ‘Absolutely not, it’s not for me.’ ”

(O’Brien earns an annual salary of $221,707, according to the school district.)

He said district officials will be watching the case against Fernandez, but don’t want it to affect students.

“It’s not that we should forget or ignore,” O’Brien said. “I want our students to recognize that our district is focused on their success. … We don’t want our adult issues to cloud or disrupt that learning.”

Ex-Centinela Valley superintendent pushed through private retirement plan worth $294,000 to him, testimony reveals
Disgraced former Centinela Valley school Superintendent Jose Fernandez was “extremely” eager to secure a supplemental retirement plan for the district from which he stood to gain $294,000, according to court testimony Monday.

“JF is extremely hot on this,” then-Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Bob Cox wrote in a September 2012 email to a school district lawyer about a program that would give longtime employees additional retirement benefits.

A portion of the redacted exchange was read aloud by a prosecutor on the sixth day of the preliminary hearing in the corruption case against Fernandez, who is accused of bilking taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by finding ways to dramatically boost his pay and benefits leading the tiny, Lawndale-based district.

Cox, the latest former Centinela Valley Union High School District official to take the witness stand in downtown Los Angeles, said he used the terms “white hot” and “extremely hot” in emails to describe Fernandez’s sense of urgency about getting the plan approved months before a pension reform law took effect.

Prosecutors allege the supplemental retirement program was part of a scheme Fernandez devised to spike his pension, and that he failed to mention his own potential benefit when presenting it to the school board, which approved the plan in December 2012.

A judge will decide whether Fernandez should be tried on a dozen charges, including embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest, which could send him to prison for as many as 15 years if he is convicted.

The supplemental retirement plan offered employees with more than 15 years of service as much as 7 percent of their pay, covered entirely by the district. It was billed as a way to save Centinela Valley money by giving veteran educators an incentive to retire early, offering an unusually long seven-year timeline for those eligible to participate.

Fernandez’s defense attorney, Vicki Podberesky, said the idea was to get more district veterans on board.

“Essentially, the longer the time period of the program, the more employees could participate,” she said.

Cox, a former sportswriter for the Daily Breeze who succeeded Fernandez as superintendent but is now retired, said he understood that Fernandez would become eligible just before the seven years were up.

At the time, it caught the attention of Public Agency Retirement Services — or PARS — the private company that offers the plans. Senior Vice President Eric O’Leary emailed Fernandez noting the potential for a conflict of interest, or at least the perception of one.

Fernandez was unable to collect the benefits because he was fired before he turned 55.

Deputy District Attorney Stefan Mrakich also spent time questioning the superintendent’s hiring practices. Cox said it was normal for Fernandez to skirt the district’s protocols and not seek his input even though he was in charge of human resources.

“I think it shows an overall pattern on Mr. Fernandez’s part where he’s in control,” Mrakich said.

The day also featured testimony from current Centinela Valley school board member Hugo Rojas, who was elected in November 2009 and voted weeks later to approve the controversial employment contract at the center of Fernandez’s case.

Unlike two former board members who testified that they were initially unaware of a provision in the contract giving Fernandez the option to obtain a nearly $1 million, low-interest home loan, Rojas said the trustees did discuss it prior to casting their votes.

But Rojas said he didn’t find out that Fernandez had executed the loan to buy his two-story Ladera Heights home until he read about it in the Daily Breeze in February 2014.

He said he didn’t remember seeing a copy of a $910,000 check to a Santa Monica escrow company that prosecutors allege was a “surreptitiously” included in several pages of financial records under a consent calendar of routine board agenda items.

Rojas said he confronted Fernandez about the “disturbing” revelations in the Daily Breeze. The superintendent replied that the newspaper’s reporting was inaccurate, Rojas said, and he was told, “Don’t worry about it, legal is going to work it out.”

With a long witness list, tedious questioning and a case file with thousands of pages of documents, the preliminary hearing is taking longer than expected and may have to resume in March.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Ron Hacker is expected to testify on Tuesday

Former IB Charter School PTA President Arrested

Former IB Charter School PTA president Kaitlyn Birchman was arrested on Jan. 2 at her home in Temecula and arraigned on Jan. 10. She has been charged with embezzlement of $400 or more, grand theft and writing fictitious checks.

The Sheriff’s Department Financial Crimes Unit (FCU) had been investigating the missing funds of $14,802 Birchman has allegedly stolen for almost a year. Although the current PTA puts the missing amount at $40,000, the Sheriff’s Department FCU Sgt. Karl Miller says only the $14,000 can be proven is actually missing. “Proof guides the investigation, not emotions,” said Miller about the discrepancy of the funds.

Last January 2018, the PTA board discovered Birchman’s mishandling of funds and in March the issue was brought up during a board meeting. After a heated discussion, a motion was made to remove Birchman from the board. Miller and other officers attended the March meeting and said that the board found out Birchman had closed the bank account and was writing checks from that account. When one of the vendors who received a fraudulent check complained, the embezzlement was discovered. 

“The board was surprised and shocked. There was no bank account,” said current PTA president Amber Vissuet. “A lot of checks throughout the year couldn’t be deposited because there was no bank account.”

“The school district was not paid over $5,000 so all the field trips were cancelled,” said current Treasurer Elizabeth McKay.

After the embezzlement was discovered McKay said some parents told her during a membership drive they had heard what happened and did not want to join the PTA.

“We’re taking it seriously and we are 100 percent transparent and accountable,” she said about going forward.  

“Due to lack of accountability she [Birchman] was put into the position… it went from three people authorizing withdrawals to one,” said Miller. “If you look at the investigation as a whole, the PTA had the right policies but did not implement them.”

Birchman is currently out on a $25,000 bond and a court date has not been set. The District Attorney is looking at the investigation to see what can be proven without reasonable doubt, explained Miller.

LA Charter Schools Founder Pleads To Embezzlement

The founder of Los Angeles charter school network Celerity Educational Group pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to misappropriate and embezzle public funds.

Vielka McFarlane admitted in a plea agreement filed in federal court in Los Angeles that she misspent $2.5 million in public education funds intended for Celerity students.

The felony charge stems from the 57-year-old Sylmar resident's habit of using her charter schools' credit cards to pay for expensive clothing, luxury hotel stays and first-class flights for her and her family, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The bulk of the funds -- which partly came from the U.S. Department of Education -- were used without authorization to purchase a building for another charter school in Ohio. McFarlane also admitted improperly using public funds to pay the security deposit, rent and renovations at a soundstage and recording studio in Canoga Park, which was rarely used by students.

McFarlane founded Celerity Educational Group in 2004 and served as its CEO until April.

"When anyone repurposes public school funds for self-serving reasons, students suffer," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said last month. "This case involving the former CEO of Celerity demonstrates our ongoing efforts to protect and safeguard public funds, and to hold accountable those who improperly use those funds for their own gain."

Between 2009 and 2013, McFarlane used credit cards issued to Celerity Educational Groups and Celerity Global Development to buy luxury items from the Salvatore Ferragamo boutique in Beverly Hills and high-end shops in Tokyo, customized recreational bicycles for her and her spouse, and purchase more than $5,000 in leather-making equipment used by a for-profit company in which McFarlane and her family members were partners, according to her plea agreement.

She also admitted to illegally using a school credit card to purchase round-trip airfare for her and family members to attend President Barack Obama's second inauguration in January 2013.

McFarlane further acknowledged that she did not reimburse Celerity Education Group or Celerity Global Development for any of the payments described in the plea agreement prior to the government's criminal investigation.

McFarlane, who is scheduled to be sentenced May 13, faces up to five years in federal prison, federal prosecutors said. She agreed to forfeit items purchased with public funds and may be ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution, the plea agreement states.

In June 2017, the U.S. Attorney's Office entered into an agreement with Celerity Educational Group, now known as ISANA Academies, in which ISANA recognized and acknowledged the misconduct committed by McFarlane, agreed to cooperate fully with the government's investigation, and agreed to implement certain reforms designed to ensure that similar conduct does not occur again.

Former high school employee in Desert Hot Springs admits embezzling $350,000 over 16-year career in California

A former high school employee who pleaded guilty this week to embezzling nearly $350,000 from her workplace over 16 years was sentenced to five years’ probation, and she will have to wear an ankle bracelet for the next six months.

Deneen Kuhlman, who worked as a financial clerk for Desert Hot Springs High School from 1997 until December 2017, when she resigned, was ordered to pay back the full amount she stole with payments of $300 per month, said John Hall, a spokesman with the Riverside County district attorney’s office. Kuhlman must find new employment and return to court in six months, when her payment is expected to increase, Hall said. She already has paid back about $20,000.

Her attorney, David Greenberg, said he’s happy his client won’t spend time behind bars.

“She’s relieved it’s over,” he said, “and she’s thrilled that she gets to stay at home and continue to support her family the best way that she can, including her child, who has special needs.”

The theft came to light in late 2017 after a routine audit by the Palm Springs Unified School District found accounting discrepancies, the district said in a statement. The Desert Hot Springs Police Department was then asked to investigate.

During that time, Kuhlman confessed the crime in a letter to the school’s principal, Greenberg said. After writing the letter, she was hospitalized after a suicide attempt, her lawyer said.

“At some point, the guilt was so overwhelming — this is coming from a woman with no records whatsoever, who is loved and respected in the community — and she decided to confess what she had done,” Greenberg said.

Kuhlman embezzled the money by printing out numbers in a font similar to ones used on bank statements. She then would cut them out, tape them onto the statements she handled and make photocopies, which she submitted to school officials, police told the Desert Sun.

Greenberg said his client struggled financially and spent the money on necessities, including groceries and medical bills. According to Transparent California, which documents government employees’ pay, Kuhlman’s salary was $46,564 in 2016.

Joan Boiko, a spokeswoman for Palm Springs schools, said the district would continue to take measures to prevent such incidents.

“Something like this should never have happened, and the district has a zero tolerance for any illegal behavior by our employees,” schools Supt. Sandra Lyon said in a statement after the theft was discovered. “We are appalled that this type of egregious fraud could have occurred, and the missing funds will be replaced by the district.”

Lyon said the district filed a claim with its insurance company to recover the stolen money.

Former Parlier Unified superintendent charged with three felony embezzlement-related charges in California

The former superintendent of Parlier Unified School District has been charged by the Fresno County District Attorney's Office with three embezzlement-related felony charges.

Gerardo G. Alvarez, 56, of Fresno, was arrested at his home Friday morning on suspicion of  embezzlement and misappropriation of funds from the Parlier Unified School District’s “Sunshine Club”
account, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced.

He has since posted a $15,000 bail and was released Fresno County Jail.

The alleged conduct came to light after a Fresno County Grand Jury report in 2015, as well as an audit that was requested by the Fresno County Office of Education in 2016.

Alvarez was employed as the superintendent of the school district from 2013-2015.

The Felony Complaint alleges that from July 1, 2013 through July 31, 2014, the defendant committed the felony crimes of:

• Embezzlement of Property of Parlier Unified School District Valued Over $950
• Misappropriation of Public Funds by a Public Officer
• Misappropriation of Public Funds by a Public Officer

If convicted of the charges and allegations, he may face a potential sentence of up to four years in custody.

Alvarez is expected to be arraigned in Fresno County Superior Court on Jan. 7 at 8:30 a.m.

Former PTA president charged with embezzlement in San Diego

The Imperial Beach Charter School PTA president was arrested on suspicion of embezzling funds from the group, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Unit said Wednesday.
A warrant was issued in November for 30-year-old Kaitlyn Birchman, a mother of two. Riverside County deputies arrested Birchman late Tuesday night at her home in Temecula.

Birchman was the head of the Imperial Beach Charter School's parent-teacher association until March, when she was voted off the board. Other members said her departure followed months of missing funds.

“There were thousands of dollars that hadn’t been paid,” current PTA treasurer and former Coronado Police sergeant Elizabeth McKay said.

According to McKay, vendors from previous years sent the PTA bills for unpaid services. McKay contacted the bank and discovered the PTA’s account no longer existed.
“The checks...she had written to herself and signed herself. ATM withdrawals that weren't anywhere near Imperial Beach or had anything to do with a PTA event."
The PTA confronted Birchman in March with the help of a Sheriff’s deputy, who spoke about embezzlement.

"She [Birchman] said that it was just a misunderstanding,” McKay said. “It was a lot of blind faith that they thought if she says everything is okay, then everything must be okay."
Birchman was booked in Riverside County and posted bond.

The former PTA president accused of stealing thousands of dollars from her children’s school, pleaded not guilty at San Diego Superior Court Thursday afternoon.

Kaitlyn Faith Birchman stood next to her attorney with a blank stare, as she listened to the charges she faces: Felony embezzlement, grand theft, and writing bad checks.

“The defendant wrote a check to a vendor of a fundraiser from the PTA bank account, knowing that that bank was closed, and there was no money in the bank account,” Deputy District Attorney Kimball Denton said in open court.

From 2016 to 2018, Birchman served as the PTA president at Imperial Beach Charter School. During that time, prosecutors said she stole at least $14,000 from the school’s membership fees, book drives, and holiday fairs.

“These are all fundraisers, where children grades K through 8 participated in raising money for their school,” Denton said. “As parents, we send our children to school, and we trust that PTA’s and organizations are taking care of our schools and taking care of our children. And that is clearly not what happened here.”

Acting on an arrest warrant, Temecula Police took Birchman into custody on New Year's Day. She has since posted $25,000 bail.

Her public defender, Ray Aragon, asked the judge not to raise the bail amount because she has no criminal record.

“Should these charges be accurate, they clearly are an aberration from her normally law-abiding life,” Aragon argued.

In lieu of raising bail, the judge imposed three special conditions onto Birchman for the duration of the case.

• She must submit to a search at any time, even without a warrant.
• She must be at least 100 yards away from Imperial Beach Charter School.
• She must not take any part in any financial dealings through a school, PTA, or any volunteer activity.

“We just wanted these conditions in place to protect the safety of the community and to prevent her from any kind of future crime,” Denton said.

If convicted, Birchman faces a maximum sentence of three years, eight months.

Exact amount uncertain in Adelanto Little League embezzlement case

The dollar amount a former treasurer will pay back to the Adelanto Little League following her sentencing remains unknown.

San Bernardino County District Attorney spokesman Chris Lee told the Daily Press restitution in the embezzlement case involving Stacy Lynn Blandon will be ordered once more information becomes available.


"Restitution in this matter has not been ordered yet as we are currently trying to obtain information surrounding the exact amount," Lee said via email.

Blandon was sentenced Jan. 19 to 36 months probation after pleading no contest to one count of embezzlement exceeding $950 in value. Pursuant to the plea bargain, the charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor.

In December 2015, the Daily Press first reported that San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department officials were investigating allegations that possibly more than $15,000 may have been missing from the league - an amount Little League California District 49 Administrator Martin Hoover confirmed was accurate.

On Monday, Lee said he could not go into specifics of the case as a restitution hearing is pending, but he said a judge will determine the restitution amount based on evidence presented at that hearing.

"Whatever amount we can prove was stolen will be ordered paid back in restitution by the defendant," Lee said. "It's not uncommon that restitution is determined at a later date at a separate hearing."


Blandon was named the league's treasurer for the 2015 season, according to a previous Daily Press report. The DA's office filed charges against Blandon in March 2016, three months after league officials reported to authorities that they found money unaccounted for while reviewing their books.

In their complaint, prosecutors said the wrong-doing occurred between Sept. 23, 2014, and Oct. 20, 2015.


Blandon's no-contest plea also dismissed a misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting a criminal offense that stemmed from a Feb. 3, 2015, incident in which she allegedly reported a felony to a Little League official despite knowing the report was false, according to the prosecution.

In addition to probation, Blandon was ordered to pay $235 to the court. Lee said a restitution hearing will be set once an exact amount is determined by the DA's office.

Adelanto Little League embezzlement case ends with plea deal

The former treasurer for the Adelanto Little League who faced felony embezzlement charges has been sentenced after entering into a plea bargain, court records show.

Stacy Lynn Blandon pleaded no contest on Thursday to one count of misdemeanor embezzlement exceeding $950 in value and was sentenced to 36 months probation and one day in county jail, according to court records.


Pursuant to the plea bargain, the embezzlement charge was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor and a second misdemeanor charge of falsely reporting a criminal offense was dismissed. In addition, Blandon was credited one day for time served, court records show.

Adelanto Little League Vice President Dave Thomas declined to comment Friday pending the gathering of more information on Blandon's sentencing, but Little League California District 49 Administrator Martin Hoover expressed his displeasure with the former treasurer's actions.

"Personally, I think any time someone steals money from an organization that benefits young boys and girls, it's a heinous act," Hoover told the Daily Press, "but I still think that even her pleading no contest ... from now on when it comes to youth sports - should she ever want to volunteer again - that's going to draw a red flag."

Hoover said that, going forward, he hopes other organizations won't face "the headache" Adelanto Little League had to experience as a result of the embezzlement. He added he was unclear of the exact amount embezzled by Blandon.

"I know records were handed over to (the San Bernardino County) Sheriff's (Department)," Hoover said. "I don't know if they were able to pinpoint how much, though."

The Daily Press first reported on Dec. 29, 2015, that Sheriff's officials were investigating allegations that possibly more than $15,000 may have been missing from the league. On Friday, Hoover confirmed that figure was accurate.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's office filed charges against Blandon on March 1, 2016, three months after league officials reported to authorities that they found money unaccounted for while reviewing their books.


In a complaint obtained by the Daily Press at the time, prosecutors said the wrong-doing occurred between Sept. 23, 2014, and Oct. 20, 2015.

Meanwhile, the dismissed misdemeanor charge stemmed from Feb. 3, 2015, when Blandon allegedly reported a felony to a Little League official despite knowing the report was false, according to the prosecution.

In addition to probation, Blandon was ordered to pay $235 to the court; however, it remains unclear whether Blandon will pay additional restitution to the league. Neither the prosecuting or defense attorneys responded to requests for comment, and Hoover said he was unaware of any potential future payments.

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.”

Former Stockton Colts treasurer pleads guilty to embezzlement

 The former treasurer of the Stockton Junior Colts Hockey Club pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling $27,205 from the organization from 2012-14 and has paid full restitution, according to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.

Jennifer Lee Hicks, 35, was charged late last year with embezzling funds during a stint as treasurer that ran from June 2012 to June 2014.

According to the court, Hicks returned $10,000 before charges were filed and repaid an additional $18,655 on Monday, with $1,450 going to the costs of an audit.

Judge Ronald Northup placed Hicks on three years’ probation, sentenced her to 30 days in jail and levied additional court fines Monday.

A felony charge against Hicks was reduced to a misdemeanor because of her cooperation, payments, lack of a past criminal record and her use of retirement funds to pay restitution, the court said.

According to the original complaint filed against Hicks, her embezzling began to come to light in May 2014 when she decided not to seek another term as the Colts’ treasurer. Her replacement as treasurer was the first to begin to realize the existence of financial improprieties, the complaint said.

District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar recommends organizations establish finance and audit committees to review all records on a monthly basis. Deputy District Attorney Stephen Taylor said insurance policies covering embezzlement are a valuable, inexpensive method of protection

Ex-secretary sentenced for embezzling from San Pedro Catholic school

A woman was sentenced to 150 days of Caltrans service and five years probation for stealing Scrip fundraising gift cards from a Catholic school in San Pedro, where she worked as a secretary, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.

Kimberly Rauch, 49, also was ordered to pay $1,600 in restitution to Holy Trinity School and was barred from holding any job positions or roles in which she can handle an organization’s finances, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Rauch pleaded guilty last week to a felony count of grand theft by embezzlement.

School officials notified law enforcement in January 2014 after finding a pattern in the disappearance of Scrip fundraising gift cards, according to Deputy District Attorney Brian Kang.

After months of investigation, authorities determined that Rauch — who worked at the school for two years — had taken the gift cards between January 2013 and January 2014. She was charged in July 2014.

West Covina parent accused of embezzling from PTA, Girl Scouts and Little League

A West Covina woman was arrested earlier this month after allegedly embezzling more than $78,000 from the PTA at her daughter’s school, a Girl Scouts troop and the West Covina American Little League, authorities said Monday afternoon.

Veronica Paderez, 37, was arrested on Feb. 4 and booked on suspicion of grand theft after detectives from the West Covina Police Department received reports she stole money from the PTA at Vine Elementary School, said West Covina police spokesman Rudy Lopez.

Paderez had been involved with the PTA since 2014 and had access to the association’s bank accounts. According to the school’s website, Paderez served as the group’s treasurer during the 2014-15 academic year.

A preliminary audit revealed the loss of more than $52,000 from several fraudulent transactions, Lopez said.

Further investigation revealed that Paderez was also involved in the finances belonging to the West Covina American Little League and Girl Scout Troop #4754, Lopez said. The youth baseball group has reported more than $26,000 in losses. Detectives are still trying to determine the exact loss incurred by the Girl Scouts.

Lopez said Paderez’s daughter is in the Girl Scout troop and that an older son participates in Little League.

According to online booking records, Paderez posted $85,000 for her bail the night of her arrest.

No charges have been filed.

Paderez did not respond to messages seeking comment.