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San Miguel CSD bookkeeper sentenced to jail for embezzlement

September 11, 2020

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A San Luis Obispo judge sentenced a former San Miguel Community Services District bookkeeper to 180 days in jail on Thursday for theft of $38,000 from the North County CSD.

Kallie Johnson, 30, stole San Miguel CSD funds between June 2015 and Nov. 2015 while working as the district’s bookkeeper. Johnson manipulated the district’s payroll system to increase her paycheck. The then-district bookkeeper increased her paycheck 11 times by amounts ranging from $2,000 to $4,000.

Johnson pleaded no contest to felony misappropriation of public funds and felony embezzlement of public funds. The maximum sentence for her conviction was four years in prison, and the SLO County DA’s office sought a punishment of at least one year in custody.

But, Judge Hernaldo Baltodano sentenced Johnson to just half a year in the SLO County Jail. Baltodano noted Johnson had served in the military, was making efforts to pay restitution and had no significant prior criminal history.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, San Miguel CSD Board President Ashley Sangster spoke about the harm Johnson caused to the reputation of the district and its employees.

“While the sentence is less than we had hoped for, we can all be thankful that she’s receiving punishment for shattering the trust of this community and stealing the resources of the district,” Sangster said in a statement following Johnson’s sentencing.

“The public has a right to expect that all government officials, whether employees in small local districts or state agency officials, will serve the public and protect our valuable public resources,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Ms. Johnson abused her position by stealing from the residents who live in San Miguel and we will not allow public corruption in any form to go unpunished in San Luis Obispo County.”


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The judge knew what he was doing. If he had gave her the one year sentence ,it would be much more difficult to have her record sealed and erased .

The judge also knew much more difficult to get home dention for 1 year sentence , she will serve less than 2 months of home detention .

There is sheriff employees which check in on folks doing home detention even in San Miguel ….but dententionees know when the sheriffs arrive in San Miguel and when they leave only 3 paved entrances and exits in San Miguel …101 north and south and the one and only bridge that crosses the river


0

Hey you criminals out there… if you’re going to steal money, make sure your spouse is a county administrator; otherwise, you’re going to jail.


4

Part of the reason most CSD’s just need to go away.


2

She probably got tired of Lumberg constantly reminding her to put the cover sheet on the TPS reports.


0

“Didja get that memo?”


0

So she will be out in 3 months or less for good behavior! Great judge, NOT! How can we get him removed from the bench ???????


5

Those are some pretty awesome internal controls they have there at the CSD…maybe next time more than one person is in charge of certifying the payroll…not surprised as this county has a history of corruption…typically tied to the county in some capacity too.


8

“Judge Hernaldo Baltodano sentenced Johnson to just half a year in the SLO County Jail. Baltodano noted Johnson had served in the military, was making efforts to pay restitution and had no significant prior criminal history.“


“Your like the thief who isn’t the least bit sorry he stole, but is terribly, terribly sorry he’s going to jail” -Rhett Butler


15