A criminal complaint has been filed against Laura Leonard (DOB 05/01/75), of Simi Valley, charging seven felony counts of grand theft and an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement alleging she stole in excess of $100,000 in the commission of her crimes. Leonard was arrested today in an operation conducted by the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD). Felony charges against Leonard resulted from an investigation conducted by SVPD and were filed by the District Attorney’s Office Fraud and Technology Crimes Unit.
From 2004 until October 2019, Leonard was employed by Protek CNC Sales Corp., a company based in Simi Valley. In 2014, Protek promoted Leonard to the position of office manager. In that capacity, Leonard had access to the bookkeeping and payroll system, including credit cards. In October 2019, while Leonard was on vacation, the owner of Protek received a credit card statement and noted suspicious purchases. A subsequent audit revealed that since 2014 Leonard had used the credit cards to make unauthorized personal purchases, resulting in an alleged theft of $143,000. The company audit also revealed that Leonard allegedly manipulated the payroll system to cause Protek to issue her 120 unauthorized checks totaling more than $170,000. Leonard is currently in custody at the Ventura County jail with bail set at $100,000. Arraignment is scheduled January 30, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court. If convicted on all charges Leonard faces up to nine years in prison.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims. Follow the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on Twitter @VenturaDAOffice
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