Release Date: January 17, 2006

Contact:

Marc Leventhal, Deputy District Attorney

(805) 289-1939

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Charles Stephen Hodson (DOB 02/17/54), a 51-year-old Ventura resident, pleaded guilty on January 13, 2006, to two felony charges of grand theft and forgery. The case against Hodson resulted from an investigation conducted by the Ventura Police Department.

Between August 2000 and April 2002, Hodson was employed as a sales representative by Cold Steel, Inc., a distributor of specialty knives and other products based in Ventura. After Hodson resigned his position, investigation revealed that during his employment Hodson systematically diverted checks from Cold Steel, Inc. customers that were intended to pay for Cold Steel merchandise. Hodson negotiated those checks through a personal bank account, keeping the proceeds. The total amount Hodson is known to have stolen from Cold Steel, Inc. is approximately $44,000.

Hodson remains free on a $10,000 bond he posted following his arrest in November 2004. Sentencing is set for February 10, 2006, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 14 of the Ventura County Superior Court. Hodson faces a maximum sentence of three years, eight months in state prison.