San Rafael Nonprofit Scammer Gets 3 Years: AG

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A woman convicted of embezzling more than $650,000 from a Marin nonprofit was sentenced to three years and four months in state prison Thursday, the state's Attorney General's office said in a statement.

Lashante Boyd pleaded guilty in January to multiple counts of grand theft and special allegation for a theft over $500,000, prosecutors said. She was also ordered to pay over $650,000 in restitution to Center Point Inc.

Boyd was charged with stealing checks from colleagues' desks that were made out to the San Rafael-based substance use rehabilitation center and cashing them, prosecutors said. She cashed 30 checks valued at $651,000,00 over a period of nearly 2 ½ years starting in December, 2016.

“When you steal from a nonprofit, you are really stealing from the individuals and families who rely on that organization’s services,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

“Using your position as an employee of an organization to embezzle funds meant to assist vulnerable people in your community is an abuse of power, and those who commit these offenses must be held accountable.”

The case was investigated by the San Rafael Police Department and the California Department of Justice's White Collar Investigation Team.

“This case is a great example of teamwork between Investigators from the Attorney General’s Office and the San Rafael Police Department,” SRPD Chief David C. Spiller said in a statement.

“I am very pleased at the outcome of this case.”

Boyd’s sentencing followed her Jan. 12 guilty plea on two counts of grand theft and one aggravated white-collar enhancement for theft over $500,000, prosecutors said.

As part of her plea agreement, she was ordered to pay $651,001.59 in restitution to Center Point, prosecutors said.