Former SLO County IWMA secretary charged with embezzling thousands of dollars
A former board secretary for San Luis Obispo County’s waste management agency is facing embezzlement charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in public funds over the course of four years.
The county District Attorney’s Office on Aug. 3 filed 10 felony charges against Carolyn Goodrich, 68, a former board secretary for the Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA). Nine of the charges are related to the alleged embezzlement, and one is connected to destruction of public records.
Goodrich faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if she’s convicted of all charges.
The IWMA administers solid and hazardous waste programs. Representatives from the county, its seven cities and unincorporated communities have governed the organization through a power-sharing agreement since 1994.
The county District Attorney’s Office in 2018 began investigating potential fraud and malfeasance at the agency.
Goodrich, who left the IWMA in January 2019, allegedly stole government funds from 2014 to 2018 and used them to pay AT&T bills, purchase Turbo Tax software and shop for “personal goods” at Lowe’s hardware store, the criminal complaint said.
She allegedly spent more than $14,000 on AT&T bills alone over the four-year period, the complaint said.
In addition to buying tax-filing software, Goodrich allegedly used IWMA funds to pay for online access to background check websites TruthFinder and PeopleFinder, as well as court records website Pacer.gov.
In August 2018, Goodrich also destroyed or falsified public records that she had in her possession, the complaint said.
“Ms. Carolyn Goodrich of the IWMA is charged with breaching the trust of the public whom she was appointed to serve when she embezzled public money for her benefit and then destroyed volumes of official documents after the District Attorney’s Office sent written notice of our investigation,” District Attorney Dan Dow wrote in an email to local media.
Goodrich’s embezzlement charges are the latest in a string of controversies involving the IWMA in recent years.
Shortly after the district attorney’s investigation began, the organization’s board of directors placed longtime manager Bill Worrell on administrative leave until his retirement date amid allegations that he misused public funds, according to a previous Tribune story.
In June, the IWMA’s executive director resigned after a protracted fight over banning polystyrene that prompted several county supervisors to suggest leaving the organization.
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 1:36 PM.
