2008 Woodie Awards
College employee arrested on suspicion of embezzlement
Police withholding details pending charges
Melisandra Russell
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: News
A Solano College employee was arrested Feb. 28 at 12:45 p.m. on suspicion of stealing college property.
The employee was arrested after an incident on Feb. 24 at about 2 p.m. which led to a follow up investigation by police. The employee was then booked into county jail on two felony counts; embezzlement of entrusted property and grand theft, according to Steve Dawson, Solano College police chief.
Richard Christensen, director of human resources, confirmed the arrest and that the employee was suspected of stealing district property and not funds. Christensen said he didn't know anything else and that any more information about the incident should come from police records.
However, Dawson is refusing to release any more information, including the name of the employee or the circumstances of the arrest.
"It is a personnel exempt situation; because the investigation is still proceeding we cannot release names or other information," Dawson said. "We have also turned the case over to the district attorney, which would leave the information of the arrest out of our hands to release."
Jim Ewert, legal counsel for California Newspaper Publishers Association, said that "by law he [Dawson] has to expose certain information contained in a police report such as name, date/time, what charges, and the circumstances of the arrest; as long as it does not impede on the investigation. Releasing a name would not impede on an investigation of a person who has already been arrested."
The employee was arrested after an incident on Feb. 24 at about 2 p.m. which led to a follow up investigation by police. The employee was then booked into county jail on two felony counts; embezzlement of entrusted property and grand theft, according to Steve Dawson, Solano College police chief.
Richard Christensen, director of human resources, confirmed the arrest and that the employee was suspected of stealing district property and not funds. Christensen said he didn't know anything else and that any more information about the incident should come from police records.
However, Dawson is refusing to release any more information, including the name of the employee or the circumstances of the arrest.
"It is a personnel exempt situation; because the investigation is still proceeding we cannot release names or other information," Dawson said. "We have also turned the case over to the district attorney, which would leave the information of the arrest out of our hands to release."
Jim Ewert, legal counsel for California Newspaper Publishers Association, said that "by law he [Dawson] has to expose certain information contained in a police report such as name, date/time, what charges, and the circumstances of the arrest; as long as it does not impede on the investigation. Releasing a name would not impede on an investigation of a person who has already been arrested."
Be the first to comment on this story