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Ex-San Luis Obispo County employee pleads no contest to 7 embezzlement counts

July 26, 2024

Norman Hibble

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The former San Luis Obispo County information technology employee accused of embezzling more than $250,000 pleaded no contest last week to seven counts of embezzlement. [Tribune]

In February, investigators arrested Norman Hibble, 54, and prosecutors filed 12 felony embezzlement charges against him. The former SLO County information technology supervisor allegedly used a county credit card to buy himself items including an electric scooter, a crossbow, camera gear, video editing software and DJ equipment.

Prosecutors alleged Hibble also sued a driver for damaging the electric scooter that he used the county credit card to purchase.

On July 17, Hibble pleaded no contest to seven embezzlement counts. He also admitted to the sentencing enhancement of stealing more than $100,000. 

Hibble has agreed to serve a total of six years in state prison, according to court records. He will receive three years for one embezzlement count, two years for a second embezzlement count and one year for the sentencing enhancement. Hibble will receive three-year concurrent sentences for the additional five embezzlement counts, meaning they will be served at the same time as the sentence for his first embezzlement count.

Based on his convictions, Hibble faced a maximum total sentence of 16 years in state prison. Hibble’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug 21.

Previously, in June 2023, SLO County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Hibble for resisting arrest – a charge that he resisted or delayed deputies from performing their job. 

County administrators fired Hibble on Jan. 5, 2024. The county said it planned to seek restitution if Hibble was convicted, including severing his pension.

 


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Has a forensic IT expert looked into this guy’s keystroke history on all software programs that he has higher level security access to? How does Cano know whether this criminal IT supervisor didn’t tinker with the voting machines?


-4

When the voting machines were in use, they were leased, not owned, by the County. He did not have access to them.


7

Ha! What would his motive be do to that? He was clearly just out to enrich himself on the county dime. Why risk getting caught by doing something that won’t help that goal?


0

I guess a salary of 144,716.00 PLUS bennies wasn’t adequate for this publically employed bureaucrat. He had to steal as well.


15

Stealing at that level does not have a lot to do with money. It’s something to do with power and that dopamine thing.


3

Taking a poll, what are the odds that he will actually have to pay back the >$250,000 or lose his pension? Of course at $250,000+ that could only be a year or two of pension, would he then start receiving his pension, again no real consequences for government theft.


7

Might be true, but you don’t know that.


0