A judge sentenced Juanita Browne, a former county Public Guardian employee, to five years probation after a jury convicted her of stealing cash and personal belongings of 10 clients during a two-year period.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Riley said Browne, who is also known as Juanita Canley, will serve 270 days in jail and must pay restitution to the victims.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise had asked Riley to send Browne to prison for nine years and eight months.
After the sentencing, Wise said he disagrees with the sentence, noting that he spoke at length about why the district attorney felt that prison time was appropriate.
An investigation into the Public Guardian’s Office in 2005 led to the arrest of Browne.
Co-defendant Hiep Quang Le of Ventura, who was accused of bribing Browne to get him jobs cleaning out clients’ homes after they died or were moved to care facilities, pleaded guilty to bribery in 2007 and will be sentenced later.
Also arrested was Esther Torres. She was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
Public Guardian worker gets jail sentence
See also:
Poor Oversight by Public Guardian
Public Guardian Scandal
Ventura County Superior Court Judge Rebecca Riley said Browne, who is also known as Juanita Canley, will serve 270 days in jail and must pay restitution to the victims.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Wise had asked Riley to send Browne to prison for nine years and eight months.
After the sentencing, Wise said he disagrees with the sentence, noting that he spoke at length about why the district attorney felt that prison time was appropriate.
An investigation into the Public Guardian’s Office in 2005 led to the arrest of Browne.
Co-defendant Hiep Quang Le of Ventura, who was accused of bribing Browne to get him jobs cleaning out clients’ homes after they died or were moved to care facilities, pleaded guilty to bribery in 2007 and will be sentenced later.
Also arrested was Esther Torres. She was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
Public Guardian worker gets jail sentence
See also:
Poor Oversight by Public Guardian
Public Guardian Scandal
3 comments:
Probation is merely a slap on the hand.
Paying resitution is important, but the judge should have added an additional fine to the resitution.
Probation and paying resitution is an easy off. Can we expect thieves to stop thieving when punishment is merely a passing thought?
Probation? Throw the so called judge off the bench - shameful and a disgrace! This weak wimpy no sentence will encourage others to take the risk to steal and use those folks in their care to generate $$$$$ for themselves and their perp friends. Smoke is coming out of my ears, once again, when I read news like this.
Probation? Awful! This is punishment? NO! This is a gift to the perp.
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