A man who embezzled from his employer to pay his debts, will now serve a debt to society in State Prison.
Robert Conrad Vasquez, 38 of Paso Robles was convicted of embezzling more than $100,000 from his employer, Scott O’Brien Fire & Safety Co., of Atascadero, the D.A.’s Office said. Vasquez had been the company’s chief financial officer or CFO.
“From February 2019, through September 2023,” the D.A. said, “Vasquez stole company funds to pay his rent each month and to make frequent payments towards his personal credit card debts.”
At sentencing, the total amount Vasquez is believed to have stolen was somewhere between $400,000 and $600,000. Vasquez had pled “No Contest” to all charges last February and was sentenced to 4 years and 4 months in State Prison for his crimes.
The D.A. had agreed to seek no more than 6 years in a plea agreement.
Dep. D.A. Ben Blumenthal “argued to the Judge that the defendant’s conduct supported a sentence to every day of the 6-year maximum sentence under the plea agreement, strongly advocating for that sentence.”
But the judge did not agree. “After hearing the victim impact statement and arguments from the prosecutor and defense counsel,” the news release said, “the Honorable Judge Michael S. Frye imposed a sentence of four years and four months.”
Vasquez was ordered into the custody of the Sheriff’s Department immediately after sentencing, “so he may be transported to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to begin serving his sentence forthwith.”
However, his court ordeal isn’t quite over yet. Vasquez will have a Restitution Status Determination hearing on June 24, the release said.
The case was investigated by the Atascadero Police Department and prosecuted by Dep. D.A. Blumenthal.
Victim services were provided by a team of Victim Advocates from the Christopher G. Money Victim Witness Assistance Center.
