A former assistant director of the City of Cañada Flintridge faces charges of embezzlement and insurance fraud for having pretended to stole nearly $ 200,000 in insurance revenue paid to the city, prosecutors of the County of Los Angeles announced on Thursday.
Carl F. Alameda, 44, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday at 11 counts of embezzlement of funds and 23 counts of insurance fraud, according to the prosecutors. If he is found guilty of all accusations, he made a maximum sentence of 33 years in state prison.
Alameda could not be reached immediately to comment on Thursday.
Prosecutors allege that between 2016 and 2022, Alameda sent request letters to insurance companies using the city’s header paper requesting the reimbursement of accidents or material damage caused by drivers insured at the Cañada Flintridge. The authorities allege that the invoices falsified and asked that the payments be sent to an address he provided.
Alameda would have deposited checks totaling $ 193,086 of insurance companies in his personal bank account, prosecutors said.
“It is a bad service and a betrayal of trust when civil servants put their own selfish interests on the communities they serve,” said the County of Los Angeles. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a prepared statement. “It undermines the faith in our government and sends the bad message to the public that people who are supposed to work for you are corrupt and steal you.”
Cañada Flintridge officials first learned of the accusations of the Sheriff’s Department of Los Angeles when they launched an investigation triggered by “suspicious checks” who arrived at the Los Angeles County Public Works Office, according to a statement from the city.
Alameda was placed on leave and in April 2023 ended his job with the Cañada Flintridge, according to the city.
“The city has changed our internal checks to approach the scenarios that allowed the alleged financial crimes.
Several months after leaving the Cañada Flintridge, Alameda took a post of deputy director of the city in Ojai. On Thursday, he was placed on paid administrative leave of this city, Ojai officials said.
“The city also leads its own internal financial audit to ensure that there was no financial fault thanks to its role as Ojai deputy municipal director and previous service as director of the interim city,” the city wrote in a prepared statement.
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