Bookkeeper who stole $1 million from SLO County construction company pleads no contest
A former bookkeeper for a Creston construction company pleaded no contest to a host of embezzlement charges after stealing nearly $1 million from the business over the course of three years.
At a pre-trial conference Thursday, Joy Wilde of Atascadero entered into an agreement with the judge and pleaded no contest to 21 felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement and forgery, in exchange for a sentence of no more than 10 years and four months in state prison.
According to Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth, Wilde’s pleas were entered after she received an indicated sentence from Superior Court Judge Jesse Marino. Dobroth said that the “court-indicated sentence” is a plea agreement based on an understanding between the judge and defendant that does not include prosecutors.
Wilde is scheduled to be sentenced March 16.
Wilde has already served approximately 16 months in San Luis Obispo County Jail, where she’s been in custody since her arrest in October 2019.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Wilde stole the money from G. Wiemann Construction.
A Sheriff’s Office news release previously said the agency responded to a report of grand theft at a construction company in Creston in July 2019.
The owner of the business reported that his bookkeeper had embezzled more than $47,000 from the company.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Wilde took a check made out to a vendor for the construction company, altered it, and deposited it into her personal bank account. A three-month investigation allegedly uncovered more company checks deposited into her personal account.
In total, the Sheriff’s Office alleges Wilde forged and deposited 63 company checks totaling $957,000 into her own bank accounts over the course of three years.
According to the complaint, the thefts occurred between February 2016 and July 2019.
Wilde was being held Friday at San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correct details of Joy Wilde’s plea. Wilde pleaded guilty under an agreement with the court, not prosecutors.
