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Home Communities California - Northern Attorney General Bonta Announces Guilty Plea and Sentencing in Embezzlement Case in Marin County | State of California – Department of Justice

Attorney General Bonta Announces Guilty Plea and Sentencing in Embezzlement Case in Marin County | State of California – Department of Justice

Attorney General Bonta Announces Guilty Plea and Sentencing in Embezzlement Case in Marin County | State of California – Department of Justice

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of Lashante Boyd, a former employee of Center Point, Inc., a nonprofit substance use rehabilitation center in Marin County. From 2016 to 2019, Boyd embezzled over $600,000 from the organization by stealing checks made payable to Center Point and depositing them into her own bank accounts. She pled guilty in January to multiple counts of grand theft and a special allegation for theft over $500,000. Today in Marin County Superior Court, Boyd was sentenced to three years and four months in state prison. She was ordered to pay Center Point over $600,000 in restitution. The case was investigated by the San Rafael Police Department and the California Department of Justice’s White Collar Investigation Team (WCIT).

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

“This case is a great example of teamwork between Investigators from the Attorney General’s Office and the San Rafael Police Department,” said San Rafael Police Chief David C. Spiller. “I am very pleased at the outcome of this case.” 

From December 2016 through April 2019, Boyd took checks that were made payable to Center Point from her colleagues’ desks and deposited them into her personal bank accounts. In total, she stole 30 checks worth $651,001.59.

On January 12, 2022, Boyd pled guilty to two counts of grand theft and one aggravated white-collar enhancement for theft over $500,000. As part of her plea agreement, she was ordered to pay $651,001.59 in restitution to Center Point.

Prosecution of Boyd was handled by the California Department of Justice’s Special Prosecution Section (SPS). SPS investigates and prosecutes complex criminal cases, primarily related to financial, securities, mortgage, and environmental fraud; public corruption, including violations of California’s Political Reform Act; “underground economy” offenses, including tax and revenue fraud and counterfeiting; and human trafficking. The team often works with federal and local authorities on cases involving multijurisdictional criminal activity. WCIT works closely with SPS on many of these cases, targeting sophisticated, multi-layered, fraud that harms California’s residents and the economy.

A copy of the case information is available here.

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