A San Benito County Superior Court clerk has been charged with
embezzlement.
A San Benito County Superior Court clerk has been charged with embezzlement.
Hollister resident Corrine Salinas, 34, was charged by the San Benito County District Attorney’s office Thursday with one count of embezzlement and one count of misappropriation of funds, said District Attorney John Sarsfield.
Over the past year, Salinas allegedly stole about $11,000, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department.
Salinas, who had been employed in the criminal and traffic division at the Superior Court since June of 2001, processed criminal and traffic cases, said Alex Calvo, executive officer for the Superior Court.
Part of her job duties included handling cash from criminal fines and cash bail, Calvo said.
Calvo declined to elaborate as to the monetary increments of these handlings or exact details as to how they disappeared, as they are part of an ongoing investigation.
“We uncovered a financial discrepancy and started looking into it,” Calvo said.
After conducting an initial investigation, Calvo turned the information over to the Sheriff’s department March 15, which then conducted its own investigation.
Sheriff’s deputies interviewed Salinas but never placed her under arrest because there were insufficient grounds to do so, said Detective Chris Greene.
“In a case like this, we documented everything and then forwarded our findings to the DA and allowed him to make the decision,” Greene said.
Calvo would not say whether Salinas has been terminated from her position at the courthouse, but said she is no longer working in the office and has not been for several weeks.
If Salinas is convicted she could face up to a maximum of three years in prison.
Her arraignment is scheduled for April 6.
