Suniga pleads guilty to embezzling Santa Paula High Band Booster funds

** UPDATE ON CASE **
On Nov. 3, 2015 suspect Michael Suniga plead guilty to one count of grand theft embezzlement. Suniga will be sentenced on January 12, 2016 with a maximum sentence of 3 years. Suniga is currently free on bail. See paragraph below for press release on his arrest. The Santa Paula Police Department would like to thank the Ventura County District Attorney prosecutors and investigators for their assistance in this case.

On 4/28/2014 members of the Santa Paula High School Band Booster Club reported to the Santa Paula Police Department the concern that they had been the victims of an embezzlement by a member, Michael Suniga, age 29 of Santa Paula. At that time 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 it was determined that approximately $15,000-$22,000 was embezzled from the booster club. You may remember this caused a grass roots movement for the community to raise money for the Santa Paula High School Band to attend a performance in San Francisco. An arrest warrant was issued and today Suniga turned himself into the Santa Paula Police Department and was arrested for embezzlement. After processing Suniga was transported to Ventura County Jail with a bail of $50,000.

Michael Suniga

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