Michael Suniga

SPHS Band Booster Club embezzlement leads to jail time, restitution

March 23, 2016
Santa Paula News

A Santa Paulan showed up in a Ventura County Superior court Thursday with $4,600, the first payment for embezzling funds from the Santa Paula High School Band Booster Club.

The sentencing hearing for Michael Suniga was held March 17; Suniga pled guilty late last year to one count of grand theft embezzlement. 

Suniga, 31, a Santa Paula High School graduate and band member who stayed active in the program, was sentenced to 330 days in county jail and 5 years probation. 

According to Santa Paula Police Sgt. Cody Madison, “A restitution hearing has yet to be held but Suniga did agree to pay back at least $17,000 and appeared in court” with $4,600 cash.

“The Santa Paula Police Department would like to thank the Ventura County District Attorney prosecutors and investigators for their assistance in this case,” added Madison.

The case surfaced on April 28, 2014 when members of the SPHS Band Booster Club, an organization separate from the school district, reported their concern to the SPPD that they had been victimized by a member, Suniga, the club’s treasurer.

At that time SPPD Detective Randy Haumann “began a long investigation involving multiple interviews with victims and witnesses, service of multiple search warrants at different locations, and finally a forensic audit conducted by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.”

As a result of that investigation Madison said it was determined that approximately $15,000-$22,000 was embezzled from the booster club. 

The timing could not have been worse for the band, which was going to use $17,000 of the fund to travel to a national competition being held the next month in San Francisco.

While police and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office investigated the community rallied around the band with a frenzy of grassroots fundraising that included online donations, bake sales, solicitations by Police Chief Steve McLean, a benefit concert and other activities.

The fundraising effort raised about $40,000 that not only allowed members to make the trip but also have reserve funds.

Suniga, who later turned himself in to police, has been out of jail on $50,000 bail.





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