Release Date: September 22, 2009

Contact:

Howard A. Wise, Senior Deputy District Attorney

(805) 662-1736  

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Cindy Ann Skipper (DOB 01/24/73) of Ventura pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft, one count of tax evasion and admitted to taking more than $50,000. This matter was investigated by the Oxnard Police Department and the California Franchise Tax Board.

From January 2005 to July 2007, Skipper was the office manager for the Law Offices of Jody Moore in Oxnard . In that capacity, Skipper handled the payroll. Skipper wrote herself unauthorized checks from the operating account, totaling approximately $80,000. No client funds were known to have been taken. The Law Offices of Jody Moore cooperated fully with the investigation. In tax years 2005 to 2007, Skipper did not declare the unauthorized income on her income taxes.

A restitution and sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 22, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12. The restitution hearing will determine exactly how much was taken and the appropriate sentence. The maximum sentence Skipper could receive is four years, eight months in state prison.