Windsor woman admits bilking Healdsburg law firm of more than $100,000

A 38-year-old Windsor woman pleaded no contest this week to six felony counts for embezzling more than $100,000 from a Healdsburg law firm, according to Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua.

Passalacqua, in an announcement late Tuesday, said April Gabrielle Hale also admitted to two special allegations charges for excessive loss, since the amount of money was more than $100,000. Along with her pleas, Hale, former office manager and bookkeeper at the law firm, has agreed to serve a year in jail, be placed on three years of formal probation and pay more than $116,000 in restitution.

Although Passalacqua declined to disclose the name of the law firm involved, published reports identified the attorney as Michael Villa of Healdsburg. 

According to investigators, Hale used more than $100,000 from Villa's law firm's bank account to pay her personal bills between 2006 and early 2010, when a discrepancy was discovered in the law firm's accounting records.

"Employee thefts from their employers take a tremendous toll on our community," said Assistant District Attorney Diana Gomez. "Not only are these types of crimes difficult to detect, once they are detected, they usually involve a significant amount of monetary loss and take a personal toll on the employer who finds out a trusted employee has been stealing from them for years."

Sentencing will be Jan. 31 before the Hon. Judge Dana Simonds. Healdsburg police Officer Tom Whitemore was the investigating officer; Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Tobin Hammond was the prosecutor assigned to the case.