SLO County man accused of stealing more than $400,000 from small business enters plea
An executive of a small business in Atascadero accused of stealing more than $400,000 from the company pleaded not guilty to the charges last month.
Paso Robles resident Robert Vasquez was accused of stealing at least $423,460 from Scott O’Brien Fire and Safety, where he was the chief operations officer, the Atascadero Police Department said in a news release last week.
Atascadero police arrested the 37-year-old on suspicion of embezzlement on Dec. 19. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office ultimately charged Vasquez with 15 counts of grand theft over $950 on Dec. 20.
One of those counts carries a sentencing enhancement for the amount being more than $100,000, records show. He was also charged with possession of an assault weapon relating to an incident on Oct. 16.
Vasquez pleaded not guilty to all counts on Dec. 23. Records show he posted bail on Dec. 30.
In San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Monday morning, Judge Teresa Estrada-Mullaney found him to be in compliance with probation after he relinquished all his firearms to licensed gun dealers.
According to the charges, Vasquez allegedly stole the money between January 2019 and September 2023.
Police said Vasquez used the company’s money to pay his rent, personal credit cart bills and other personal expenses. He also made unauthorized cash withdrawals from the company’s checking account, police said.
Court records show Vasquez was sent to collections in August for defaulting on a Lowe’s credit card. According to the complaint, Vasquez owed $3,172 and had failed to make any payments on it since April 2022.
The next hearing in the criminal case was scheduled for Feb. 5, but the collections case won’t be heard until Nov. 3.
