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Sherry Gong pleads not guilty to embezzling money from student organization

July 23, 2019

Sherry Gong

The wife of San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong appeared in court Monday and pleaded not guilty to embezzling more than $32,000 from the booster club of the Atascadero High School band. [Cal Coast Times]

Sherry Gong, the former treasurer for the booster organization, faces three felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement. If convicted, Gong faces up to four years and four months in prison.

A criminal complaint filed by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office alleges Gong took $3,104 out of an Atascadero High School Band and Pageantry Booster Club bank account on about July 5, 2017. Then on about April 24, 2018, Gong allegedly lifted $19,000 from a second booster club bank account. Later the same day, Gong allegedly took another $9,850 from another of the club’s accounts.

Gong’s attorney, Guy Galambos, released a statement saying his client admitted to taking funds from the booster club, though she “borrowed” the money to address a family emergency. Galambos’s account of the personal use of the booster club funds does not match the timeline of the embezzlement allegations in the criminal complaint.

“About a year ago (April 2018) Sherry Gong was subjected to a highly stressful family crisis. A close family member called her in a panic. He begged her for a large sum of money he needed within three days, declaring it was a matter of life or death, but he wouldn’t elaborate on the details,” Galambos’s statement says.

Galambos characterized the embezzled funds as borrowed money and as an emergency loan that Sherry Gong intended to repay but never did. Sherry Gong tried to recoup the money by borrowing from extended family members and selling some of her jewelry, her attorney said.

Gong admitted her actions in an interview with Atascadero police detectives and presented replacement funds in the form of a cashier’s check, Galambos said in the statement.

Tommy Gong, who attended Monday’s court hearing, did not learn of the embezzlement case until after the police interview, Galambos said. The county clerk-recorder is not implicated in the case, and he said in a statement he is standing by his wife’s side and supporting her.

Sherry Gong has posted $25,000 bail and is not currently in custody.


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OK, everybody back on the merry-go-round – here we go again. I’ll lay anyone 5-to-1 odds she gets off with even a lighter tap on the wrist than the fantastical over-paid police chief got for leaving her pistol in the john. Life is wonderful when you have power and have powerful (yet corrupt) people looking out for you.


36

MJD, you make a really good point. It is a huge conflict of interest for this to be heard in a SLO court when the husband of the accused holds a senior position in the County. On the other hand, having no reason to believe Tommy is guilty, I really feel for him and their kids. All the more reason to hear it out of County is protecting the kids.


20

Pleading not guilty pretty much a formality. She’s already confessed and the DA will offer her some kind of deal. Probably probation and regular meetings with gambler’s anonymous—maybe a month in county, hopefully. The husband should resign. If he doesn’t know what’s going on in his own family, he can’t possibly be on top of county affairs.


17

I thought she already admitted guilt….


14

Wow.

Some people’s kids!


18

She would have been booted on the GONG Show!!!!


24

I guess stealing over $32,000 ftom the AHS booster organization is not enough. After ADMITTING her crime outright she pleads NOT GUILTY so a lengthy and expensive taxpayer funded legal process will begin.


And now she has money to pay back what she stole, I mean what she ‘borrowed’, money for an attorney and money for bail that is less than what she embezzled!


38

Folks,


Sherry Gong’s story just doesn’t add up, and I question whether she is now telling the truth.


Mrs. Gong, wife of SLO County Recorder Tommy Gong, claims she stole the money from Atascadero High School to help a family member in crisis, but records show she took part of the money BEFORE the supposed request/crisis. Why the lie?


Since Mrs. Gong obviously has not come clean with her criminal behavior, I say the case ought to go to trial, and prosecutors should seek the maximum sentence in order to set an example for high profile, well connected people. Everyone should be held to the same standard, and Mrs. Gong does not deserve any breaks because of who she is.


Furthermore, the case ought to be handled by Santa Barbara County prosecutors and judges, to avoid the appearance of collusion and special treatment. San Luis Obispo’s legal community has a long, dishonorable record of giving special deals to the wealthy and well connected.


I wonder if Adam Hill and Heidi Harmon are making calls on Gongs behalf?


Speak truth to power.


36

How bout we hold the DA, Sherriff and Cororner accountable for them covering up city employees regardless of their race, relgion, sexaul, political stance, if they’re a cop or code inspector. Sounds pretty progressive, aside from the corruption. Oh the irony, the old new days of open minded corruption. Come one come all to Slo county Carnival. Nothing new here. AND MJD, what the hell does Heidi and her figure head of nothingness have to so with anything? Is it because she’s flamboyant and some other crap? And Atascadero is a good ol boy town. Hence Atascabama. But they’re not racist! !!! Speak truth to what? Power? You mean opinions?


-2

33 to -5.


Just saying.


1

So much for Sherry Gong taking responsibility for her action as she claimed she was going to do in the beginning. It is her right to now claim to be innocent but strange after her attorney illogical time line explanation, which I’d guess can be used at her trial. Though we all know if this is left up to DA Dan Dow this will likely be swept under the rug and plea bargained down to nothing, that could be why to plea change now, after some private conversations with the DA.


39

Harumph. With Dow running the prosecution, we (taxpayers) will probably owe her money. That’s the SLO way.


26

True that. We paid 5 million for DA Downer and Fartkinsons murder of Holland and now have the Feds watching us. Yippie. Came up with those names on the spot. They seem fitting. Oh, the Coroner is a drunk cover uper. And sherriff pro temp.


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