District Attorney Candice Hooper today said it will be
”
a while
”
before her office makes a decision on potential charges in
connection with a sheriff’s office investigation alleging a former
San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce board member embezzled nearly
$16,000 from the organization.
District Attorney Candice Hooper today said it will be “a while” before her office makes a decision on potential charges in connection with a sheriff’s office investigation alleging a former San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce board member embezzled nearly $16,000 from the organization.
The sheriff’s office in late December recommended charges to the district attorney’s office alleging one count of embezzlement and 156 counts of forgery. Investigators allege the former board member forged checks that totaled $15,545 over about a year’s time until early 2009.
Hooper today said the district attorney’s investigator has requested additional documents and the office is allowing for six to eight weeks to get them.
“There is more investigation that needs to be done,” Hooper said, “so you’re not going to have an answer from us for a while.”
Both the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office have declined to release the suspect’s identity, and Hooper said she can’t confirm whether more than one person potentially could face charges.
“No I really can’t because I don’t know what the investigation’s going to reveal,” she said.
The sheriff’s office investigation began in August when the chamber board requested a meeting because the organization had been missing money.
Investigators’ probe after several months was stalled because chamber officials had been examining whether it was appropriate to seek civil or criminal action. The district attorney’s office received the recommendation about two weeks ago.
