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Paso Robles supervisor departs under criminal cloud

September 25, 2013

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe former building, parks and streets maintenance supervisor for Paso Robles is under investigation for allegedly embezzling thousands of dollars from the city.

Charles Lorenzen, 52, was placed on paid administrative leave a week ago and then resigned his position on Thursday, shortly after Paso Robles police investigators began looking into allegations he was using his city credit card for personal purchases. There are also allegations that Lorenzen pilfered gas and landscaping supplies.

Lorenzen did not return requests for comment.

City sources said that top management failed to look into the allegations of embezzlement, prompting a building maintenance supervisor to take a stack of credit card receipts to the police department. Officers then searched Lorenzen’s Templeton home and removed several pilfered items, city sources said.

Lorenzen was hired 13 years ago by City Manager Jim App. App did not reply to emails from CalCoastNews.

 


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I would love to end the speculation that I am Jim App. Danika knows who I am. I am no fan of the corrupt activities at the city. Lisa Soleman stole money from my company and at least one city councilman knew and did nothing. Mr. Lorenzen is a friend of mine and always will be. If many of you that are so quick to throw someone under the bus knew all the details of this situation, you would be embarrassed for what you have said and written. Kickbacks, credit card charges, didn’t happen. That is only unverifiable speculation. I really hope that those of you that hide under the cape of your moniker look yourself in the mirror and honestly tell yourself that the hurtful things you have written are bs. Lorenzen is not the corrupt one here. Blast me if you want. That man busted his butt compared to most every other city employee. And that goes top to bottom.


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QUOTING “STANDUP,” WHO POSTS UNDER A “MONIKER”: “I really hope that those of you that hide under the cape of your moniker…”


To no one’s surprise, the Paso city worker who had items from his home confiscated as part of an embezzlement investigation has a hypocrite for a supporter.


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What about all the gratuities he forced out of builders and developers in north county? Will they get refunds? Will he be prosecuted for this conduct as well? This is the same shit that occurs in SLO. Anymore, who cares! It gets reported and nothing happens. Now they will hire a team player that will steal smarter! Maybe they will hire that Ron Faria Character out of SLO?


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Show some proof needle …… What you state is slander.


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it’s only slander if it’s not true…if it can be proven… there is no slander… .


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standup,


maybe you should go to law school, so that you can gain a full understanding of slander and libel! Or is such a task beyond your reach!


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Show proof of gratuities, that’s all.


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Standup,


Police departments routinely investigate bogus tips, not. Police departments continue investigations when no crime and/or no evidence of a crime exist, not. The police searched your alleged friend’s home and removed evidence. You take pot shots at everyone. My guess you and the perp under investigation are more than friends.


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MsMiniver, I agree with your post.


In this case, the “top management” (James App?) had failed to look into the embezzlement allegations. A Paso building maintenance supervisor had to take a stack of credit-card receipts to the police to get the police investigation undertaken.


The Paso building maintenance supervisor had to TAKE EVIDENCE TO THE POLICE to get the ball rolling.


For the police to file charges, there must have been an extraordinary plethora of evidence against Lorenzen. Nothing less could push Paso police to open an investigation, not in a town where the self-proclaimed “Phat Bald Guy” calls the shots.


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Wow, you must be in the clouds. “Police departments continue……….not”. Do you really believe what you just wrote. The dudly do-rights of this country ROUTINELY investigate crimes when no crime existed. That is what an investigation is all about. “More than friends”? What do you mean by your GUESS mf?


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Standup,


So you are upset that several coworkers took evidence of your alleged “friend’s” improprieties or proclivities to the police to investigate. The police commenced an investigation and your “friend” immediately resigned with a non-disclosure agreement between with the City. So, my question to you “standup” is why did your “friend” have to secure a non-disclosure agreement? What does your “friend” have to hide? What is your friend hiding standup? Why is your “friend” hiding? And as you, yourself indicated your “friend’s” proclivities are insignificant compared to the wrong doings of others and he only deserved a slap on the wrist. Let’s hear from your “friend” standup? Let’s hear his story. How about if your friend waives his right to privacy in regards to his employment at the City of Paso Robles, so that we can all see what is in all the paperwork? What say you standup? Standup, hmm EH!


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The disclosure was initiated to go both directions.

In other words to protect and shield the high ranking person he pissed off, which created this whole mess. They only wanted to cover their asses by locking him into an agreement to stop from telling where “the bodies are buried”.

Undoubtedly there were some mistakes and lapses of judgement on Charles part. This left him vulnerable to a set up and the resulting retaliatory actions on the City’s part.

The public has been hoodwinked.


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Using your approach, anybody who EVER criticized Richard Nixon’s involvement in Watergate would have slandered Nixon. There was not a trial. Nixon never admitted to any involvement.


In addition, anyone who criticized Lisa Solomon’s sexual harassment and involvement in an illegal ticket scheme committed slander.


With people, all over the internet, discussing accusations against public officials on public message boards before charges are filed, arrests are made, and convictions obtained, why do you insist this discussion of your pal, Lorenzen, be different?


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If proven guilty, this person should suffer any and all criminal penalties that apply, and he should lose his pension and healthcare benefits.


But he won’t. Because:

1) His supervisors and superiors don’t care

2) The public employee union he belongs to, won’t allow it


I can’t decide which is worse.


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The police are involved now.


Let’s hope this is the final straw that will get rid of App and his toadies on the city council that allowed this to go on for so long.


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If it’s the PR police department as little as possible will be done. The PRPD and the

City Manager share a huge love of Jim App.


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It’s in the article


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Lorenzen was accused of using a city credit card for personal purchases. Shouldn’t that be pretty easy to prove/disprove? Wouldn’t the city have a monthly credit card statement that they can check?


Accountability should start at the top (but in Paso, we know that doesn’t happen). The council should direct city manager Jim App and staff to do a full accounting of city employees’ credit card purchases…starting with Mr. App himself.


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This is assuming the person responsible for doing the checks is not also doing the same thing or worse and bringing to light someone else’s theft would shine a light on theirs


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The credit card issue didn’t happen. Made up story. Go research it.


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How do we research it?


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Okay, Jim. We’ll just do that.


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I can assure you that this is not Jim App, also can personally vouch for the absolute ridiculousness of this entire situation.

You people are all so easily distracted it is amazing.

Charles Lorenzen is being targeted solely because he would not play ball with the bad boys and openly criticized the current hierarchy of corrupt behavior.

His ethics and morals are above reproach.

You all ought to be ashamed of being unable to think freely for yourselves.


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“he openly criticized the current hierarchy of corrupt behavior.” I must have missed when he did this, can you give the links to when this was done and details?


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If it didn’t happen, please share with us how you know this.


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Here we go again with Jim App.


Lack of leadership. Lack of accountability. An unmitigated disaster.


Paso Robles has taken serious steps back during App’s tenure.


What is it going to take to get rid of this guy? Simply unbelievable.


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Well, the police are now involved, and they have confiscated some of the ill-gotten gains from Lorenzen’s home.


This is a very horrible, yet interesting, situation. It raises so many questions.


Does the “new” PR police chief have balls the size of oranges, or did App give him permission to investigate the case?


If App didn’t give permission first, how much longer will the “new” police chief be employed by PR?


How happy is Lisa Solomon that this didn’t happen on her watch?


The list goes on and on….


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The City Council should also have drop-kicked App from the City Manager’s position years ago.


All of the foul chickens (pun intended) from this latest PR debacle are roosting in the seats of the PR city council. They have the power to get rid of App, and have had it since he was hired.


That they have chosen not to shows their support of what App has done, and is still allowing to be done.


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If I was Mr. Lorenzen and I was innocent, not only would I not have quit, I would also be going after the city in court…


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One way to look at it, Why not quit? He could be saying, Now I don’t have to go into the office daily, assuming he did, and still collect close if not more than my regular salary thanks to my pension, and I can just stay at home. This is even if he was innocent


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Yes, that’s the City of Paso’s way, kayaknut. Former disgraced top cop Lisa Chitty was accused of a myriad of things; she “resigned” (should’ve gotten fired.) She was then awarded a quarter of a million dollar payout because of her “tarnished reputation.” She’s also collecting a comfy pension and ~would have~ also been getting worker’s comp if she wouldn’t have cancelled her bogus claim.


So Mr. Lorenzen’s only taking a page out of the City of Paso’s employee handbook. He’s been accused of theft and he’s resigned, too. Is his pension intact? Will he pay retribution? Will he stay silent, too? Stay tuned…yet another lawsuit against the city may be in the works and we all know App and Yang never fight; they ALWAYS pay out.


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Why shouldn’t they pay out, it’s not their money


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And–except for one new council members, which occurred, in large part, because of Danika’s local political actions group–there were absolutely no repercussions to App and the City Council for their hush money to Solomon.


So there is absolutely no reason for them to continue their tried-and-true approach to city corruption: reward the corrupt employee or official by a big payout and leave the Paso taxpayers holding the bag.


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You have no way of knowing what you would do in this situation.

Having worked in a morally bankrupt administration and not playing their game becomes very stressful and wearing on you mentally and physically.

His life is worth more than just a paycheck and he opted to walk away from the harassment. Smart guy in my opinion. The truth will come out and he will be vindicated.


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I’m curious, IF his life was “worth more than a paycheck” as you claim, would he then jeopardize that life by engaging in allegedly illegal activities?


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You don’t have a clue what the backgrounds of posters are. Don’t assume that working for a corrupt administrator is such an isolated event. Good, solid, loyal employees get fired quite frequently because they won’t cave in to the demands of administration to commit illegal acts as part of a larger coverup.


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Hmm… another JIm App hired employee whose questionable and now known behavior was illegal.

Even though he resigned, will he be paid a huge sum to keep quiet like the last one was?

If indeed he’s guilty, and “top management’ failed to follow up after being alerted, they and the city manager should be fired. Enough is enough.


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Lorenzen also had a landscaping business on the side, http://www.manta.com/c/mtq7pyc/lorenzen-landscape just like Lisa Solomon, former Police Chief, had a business on the side. Usually this indicates supervisors who delegate all the day to day work to subordinates so they have time to work on other things and get in trouble. It’s called poor management from the top down. Take a bow, Mr. App.


You would think that Mr. App would be concerned about possible theft problems with his staff, and avoid the Lisa Solomon type fiasco, but I guess you can’t make someone into a good manager.


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Guess Mr Lorenzen likes all types of green!


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QUOTING CITIZEN: “…I guess you can’t make someone into a good manager.”


———


Yeah, but for some people being a sleazeball comes naturally.


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Someone from the city has a BIG mouth. There were bs allegations. Landscape materials for his home, bs. Please step forward one of the two punks in the building department who started this witch hunt. I know for a fact that the worst thing he did was borrow a rototiller. Big friggin deal. The guy has a perfect record for 13 years and his own employees stab him in the back for nothing? Doug Monn? Where the heck are you in all of this? This was blown so far out of proportion it reeks of crap. Get ready, there are others who have done far worse and their names will come out real soon. I am embarrassed to live in this city when we pay a police chief 250 k to quit when what she did was 1000 times worse. Give me a break App you loser.


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If he has nothing to hide, then why would he resign? Perhaps he could just standup and defend himself. Ohh Paso.


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Sorry standup, but only your last sentence makes any sense.


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This was a witch hunt. No criminal charges were filed as the issues were so petty it was a joke. He was pretty tired of the working for the city and all the corruption that goes on there. He pissed the wrong person off and any wrong doing was so petty it deserved a simple writeup at best. He did not want to be drug through the mud on this and agreed to a non disclosure as did the city. Apparently not everyone in the city got the memo. I would sue the piss out of App and co. if it was me. F em all.


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Seriously? Or was he possibly exploiting the distractions in an attempt to personally benefit without detection? If so, what a mistake.


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No criminal charges have been charged…YET.


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I guess the key word is YET.


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Not sure of the accuracy of your posts…but I do agree 100% with your statement: “He was pretty tired of the working for the city and all the corruption that goes on there.” It’s time to audit Jim App’s credit card records, too.


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1. If Lorenzen was tired of “all the corruption” he would not be contributing to it.


2. If he was so handily profiting from stealing money from the City of PR, why would he be “pretty tired of the working for the city”?


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I am guessing you do or have done a lot of work for the City to know so much about these people enabling you such concrete statements about them.


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He was so angry he “misappropriated” funds from his city-issued credit card to buy personal items, some of which ended up in his home and were found by the police?


Quit trying to make a thief look like the victim. He is being investigated for embezzlement. That’s a serious charge, IMO, and he is not a victim if he is embezzling money from Paso’s taxpayers.


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So what you are saying is that it’s the two punks fault he was questioned and decided to resign?


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I don’t like whistleblowers to be called “punks.” In most cases, whistleblowers take on considerable risk when they try to out entrenched administrators because of their illegal activities.


Standup used this ad hominem attack to try to discredit the whistleblower. Indeed, (we only have “Standup”‘s word that there was more than one whistleblower.


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Wow, what a typical reaction from someone who is guilty as charged – blame the messenger! So subordinates should keep quiet when their boss is abusing their authority? Give me a break. Those employees should get an award for ethics for turning in their corrupt boss. Interesting you said “landscaping materials” because that is not mentioned anywhere in the article. How did you know that? Are you Lorenzen or are you one of his buddies?


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QUOTING THE ARTICLE: “There are also allegations that Lorenzen pilfered gas and landscaping supplies.” Just an FYI.


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