Ex-president of the RivCo School Boards Association sentenced for embezzlement

The former head of a nonprofit that serves as the advocacy arm for all school districts in Riverside County -- from which he stole thousands of dollars, as well as filched an even larger sum from a school booster club -- was sentenced today to six months in jail and three years felony probation.

William Clarence Newberry, 62, ex-president of the Riverside County School Boards Association, pleaded guilty in November to embezzlement and grand theft. In exchange for his admissions, the District Attorney's Office dropped
two related felony counts.  

"Criminal conduct that violates the public trust, that involves a breach of duty from a supposed public servant, is so corrosive to a community that it must be addressed harshly,'' according to a sentencing brief filed by the prosecution.

Superior Court Judge Sean Crandell did not impose the specific sentence sought by the DA's office, opting for a hybrid instead, permitting Newberry to spend six months in a sheriff's work release program, rather than do an entire year in county jail, as prosecutors had requested.   

The defendant had contended that he could not endure time behind bars because he required a "special diet that is high in fiber," and he needed to continue working to support his family, according to the brief.

"If such excuses were valid reasons to avoid custody, few people would ever serve time in the county jail as a result of their criminal conduct," the brief stated. "A custodial sentence sends a clear message to the defendant and the community that he will not benefit for the years-long violations of the duties he owed the public."  

According to court papers, DA's office investigators were alerted in November 2018 to illicit use of funds belonging to the RCSBA, along with the Eleanor Roosevelt High School Climate Booster Club in Eastvale.

The RCSBA represents the county's 23 school districts, providing assistance with promotional campaigns and lobbying on behalf of the districts to oppose or support legislation.  

Former RCSBA Treasurer Tom Hunt brought his findings to the DA's office not long after he was appointed to his position, culminating in an investigation that uncovered numerous instances between December 2013 and February 2017 when Newberry used the organization's debit cards to pay his bills and amortize other debts, prosecutors said.

The theft of members' dues payments totaled $15,114, according to prosecutors.

"The defendant, over the course of several years, effortlessly spent public funds on personal bills, groceries and goods for himself and his family that in no way advanced, benefited or supported the organizations the monies were to serve," according to the brief. "For example, the defendant used booster club funds to pay his family's AT&T bill for several years, to include 2-4 phone lines at times, amounting to well over $10,000 in charges."

According to the government, Newberry siphoned $19,885 from the club.   

"The defendant had access to (both organizations') financial accounts and ... took advantage of lax bookkeeping practices of the organizations and, at least in the case of RCSBA, appears to have avoided scrutiny over personal expenditures of public funds based on a few friendships he enjoyed with other members."  

Newberry is a former member of the Corona-Norco Unified School District Board of Education. He had no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions.