February 2008

A Message from the District Attorney

The year is starting off to be a busy one at the DA's Office, with several high-profile criminal cases resolving and one of our crime prevention programs reaching a milestone.

As you'll read in this month's edition of our newsletter, our Public Integrity Unit successfully prosecuted a former city employee for embezzling thousands of dollars. It's exactly this kind of violation of the public trust that we're committed to rooting out and holding defendants accountable.

Also in February, our office hosted an historic summit of prison and reentry professionals as part of our commitment to stopping the revolving door in our county's prisons. Statistics show about 70 percent of prisoners re-offend after being released from custody. This innovative new program seeks to break that cycle.

Thanks for taking the time to read about some of our accomplishments in this month's edition of the DA Newsletter.

Bonnie M. Dumanis
San Diego County District Attorney

State Leaders Meet at DA's Office to Tackle Prison Reform

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis recently hosted the Reentry Advisory Committee (RAC) during their visit to San Diego to learn more about the county's reentry program, a comprehensive effort that aims to help non-violent offenders succeed in the community by providing substance abuse, vocational and educational programs.

The RAC is chaired by Secretary James Tilton of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It is comprised of representatives from various law enforcement and social services organizations and meet monthly to discuss CDCR policies and reentry initiatives throughout the state. In February, they met in San Diego and learned more about the SB 618 Prisoner Reentry Program.

DA Dumanis welcomed the committee and emphasized the importance of collaboration in developing and implementing the SB 618 Prisoner Reentry Program. DA Dumanis has taken the leadership role on reentry programs and started calling for reform after she recognized the problem of the revolving door in the state prison system.

"We're proud that San Diego is taking the lead in the state when it comes to breaking the cycle of prison recidivism, but we haven't done it alone," DA Dumanis said. "The power of this effort is the cooperation between all the agencies involved."

The committee members learned about the program through presentations and observed an Operational Procedures meeting where representatives from both the County and State meet to discuss the program's processes and issues. They also watched video clips of the Multi-Disciplinary Team and Community Roundtable meetings, in which law enforcement representatives and service providers meet with the participants to discuss assessments results and goals.

Alerts & Advisories

Former City Employee Sentenced for Embezzlement

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office had its latest success prosecuting public integrity cases during February when former San Diego City Parks and Recreation Center Director Helen Ferrell, 62, was sentenced to 180 days in jail, four years formal probation, and ordered to pay restitution for embezzling $74,155 from the city and the South Bay Recreational Center, a non-profit citizen advisory organization. Ferrell, an employee for more than 20 years, was charged with writing unauthorized checks to herself and third parties and misappropriating funds. She pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft. "The successful prosecution sends a clear message that any government employee who abuses public trust will be held accountable for their actions. This latest case is just one example of our office's continuting commitment to prosecuting public integrity cases," said San Diego District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis.

Click for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office Public Integrity podcast.

DA CASE FILE

Lynette Loucille Johnson, 34, was sentenced to one year in prison after being convicted of identity theft. Johnson, a former Sharp HealthCare employee, allegedly used the money for breast implants and clothing. She was also ordered to pay restitution and will be on probation for three years after she completes her jail sentence.

Timothy Michael Colban, 40, was sentenced to 17 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of battery causing great bodily injury and hate crime allegations. Colban punched and broke the skull of Sylvester Wilson in what prosecutors say was an unprovoked attack.

Gary Michael Jenkins, 59, was sentenced to two years in prison for felony charges of theft after allegedly swindling $300,000 from an elderly couple's estate. According to prosecution, he took the money without the couple's knowledge or consent. Jenkins has also been ordered to pay $291,576 in restitution and $5,000 in fines.

Ceasar Don Juan Flores, 26, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years probation after he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sex with a minor. The minor was a 17-year-old student at the high school where Flores was an assistant coach.

Teddy Baek, 40, was convicted multiple charges for raping two female UCSD students in University City. Baek faces multiple life terms when sentenced. According to prosecution, Baek "thought he was invisible" when he broke into the students' apartments at night.