Councilman Chuck Vasquez pleads guilty to embezzling funds

Cathedral City Councilman Charles Frederick Vasquez pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges for embezzling funds from an employee loan program.

Vasquez plead guilty to three embezzlement counts and two misdemeanor counts, filing false documents and grand theft.

The plea deal calls for Vasquez — who is running for re-election in the
November election — to resign if returned to office. If he resigns by September 22 and also turns down the position if re-elected, he will only be sentenced for the two misdemeanor charges and the felony counts will be dismissed.

A Nov. 14 sentencing date is set for the 59-year-old local politician.

Vasquez is Cathedral City Mayor Pro Tem. He was arrested April 8, 2013, and later indicted on three felony counts of embezzlement by a public officer.

An asset protection manager at Sam’s Club in Palm Desert pulled records
for Vasquez’s Sam’s Club purchases, and found that the dates matched the dates when he invoiced the city for purchases of computer items, according to the prosecutor. He said an October 2011 summary showed that Vasquez returned a computer and bought items such as T-shirts and food.