Trial begins in thefts at Guardian Office
A prosecutor said: Former Ventura County employee Juanita Browne repeatedly exploited "society's most vulnerable persons" by stealing thousands of dollars and personal possessions from individuals who were severely mentally ill.
According to Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise, Browne stole from 10 clients over a two-year period while falsifying records and intimidating co-workers, including her bosses. He said the paper trail will reveal much about the crime, including Browne's repeated use of the Guardian's Office's "blue slips," which he described as being like blank checks.
An investigation into the office resulted in a scandal and led to the arrest of Browne and her fellow county employees Hiep Quang Le and Esther Anaya Torres.
* Browne is charged with multiple felony counts, including theft from an elder or dependent adult, receiving stolen property and accepting a bribe.
* Anaya Torres is serving three years in prison for stealing more than $90,000 in income checks from clients.
* Le is expected to testify against Browne. Last year, he pleaded guilty to bribing Browne, who is also known as Juanita Canley and Juanita Whiting. Prosecutors claim Browne received a $6,225 bribe from Le.
Full Article and Source:
Jurors get first look at scandal
See also:
Guardian's Office scandal sentencing scheduled for February
Public Guardian Accused of Theft
A prosecutor said: Former Ventura County employee Juanita Browne repeatedly exploited "society's most vulnerable persons" by stealing thousands of dollars and personal possessions from individuals who were severely mentally ill.
According to Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise, Browne stole from 10 clients over a two-year period while falsifying records and intimidating co-workers, including her bosses. He said the paper trail will reveal much about the crime, including Browne's repeated use of the Guardian's Office's "blue slips," which he described as being like blank checks.
An investigation into the office resulted in a scandal and led to the arrest of Browne and her fellow county employees Hiep Quang Le and Esther Anaya Torres.
* Browne is charged with multiple felony counts, including theft from an elder or dependent adult, receiving stolen property and accepting a bribe.
* Anaya Torres is serving three years in prison for stealing more than $90,000 in income checks from clients.
* Le is expected to testify against Browne. Last year, he pleaded guilty to bribing Browne, who is also known as Juanita Canley and Juanita Whiting. Prosecutors claim Browne received a $6,225 bribe from Le.
Full Article and Source:
Jurors get first look at scandal
See also:
Guardian's Office scandal sentencing scheduled for February
Public Guardian Accused of Theft
3 comments:
This is the worst kind of ring of thieves, they are cowards, using their paid positions of trust to steal from vulnerable people who cannot defend themselves.
Shameful.
I hope the ring of thieves are humiliated and sentenced to a harsh punishment. They deserve to be removed from the courtroom in handcuffs and leg shackles, directly to their state cage.
Shameful. This case must be used as an example to others who are using their positions of trust, layng in wait for their prey.
A scandal is good as it gets the public's attention. We want that, of course, but we also want accountability.
Any time one of these pirates is held accountable, it's a deterrent to someone who's cooking up the next scam.
These people get busted when nailed and pay the price.
But what about the professional fiduciaries who bleed out the estate assets, after forgetting to pay income taxes, property taxes and/or nursing homes?
There is no accountability at present, and these crimes by lawyers and other fiduciaries must come to an end.
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