(December 4)  A former Rialto Unified School District Accountant has pleaded guilty to embezzling $1.8 million and now faces eight years in County Prison.
Judith Oakes, 50, of San Bernardino pleaded guilty today to nine counts of Public Officer Crime (PC 424).
Oakes faces 8 years in County Prison when she is sentenced Jan. 8, 2015. Under the agreement, Oakes will be required to pay $1,845,137.81 which she embezzled from July 2005 to Aug. 2013. She will be making her first payment of $339,002.58 following pronouncement of judgment.
“After so many years of theft, the victims can now feel confident that justice was served today,” said Deputy District Attorney Jason Liso, who prosecuted the case. “Hopefully this sends a strong message that our public servants will be held accountable for their actions when they decide to abuse the public trust.”
On August 7, 2013, Oakes was arrested by Rialto Police and booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga after she was recorded on video stuffing school lunch money into her bra. Oakes; arrest touched off a series of audits and investigations at the district and triggered the eventual resignation of superintendent Harld Cebrun.