February 9, 2012
If Sara Juarez had stopped after one round of embezzlement—to the tune of $148,000—she might've escaped nine years and four months in prison. But Monterey County Superior Court Judge Adrienne Grover sentenced Juarez Thursday for a probation violation after she embezzled another $45,000.
Juarez pleaded guilty in 2006 to 12 counts of identity theft, 12 counts of fraudulent use of an access card and filing a false tax return during the year she spent working for the County Department of Social and Employment Services. She used personal ID numbers from 23 welfare clients to access their cash aid, according to a statement by the District Attorney's office.
During her 10-year probation, Juarez went to work for Monterey Structural Steel Company in Watsonville under the pseudonym Sara Yniguez. There, she became the office manager and was responsible for payroll and business accounts, according to the DA's statement. From 2009 to 2011 she embezzled $45,000 through fraudulent payroll checks and use of business accounts for personal expenses.
No embezzlement charges have been filed in Santa Cruz County, but the Monterey County DA pursued sentencing because Juarez had failed to disclose her felony conviction to her new employer, a probation violation.
Photo by 401k courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
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