Jose A. Fernandez
LOS ANGELES – 57-year-old Jose A. Fernandez was charged on Wednesday with a dozen counts that included conflict of interest, misappropriation of public funds, grand theft and embezzlement.
Fernandez once served as the Superintendent of the Centinela Valley Union High School District, during which time he was alleged in a five-year span to have manipulated the school board as well as its policies in increasing his pay and benefits.
The suspect included others in on his scheme, “creating supplemental retirement programs for school district executives” that also, of course, included himself.
In 2013 his “wages of purposes of the retirement plan totaled more than $750,000. This was $500,000 more than the next highest paid employee in the district” (LA DA press release).
Fernandez’ bail as at at $495,000. He faces up to 15 years in state prison if he is convicted of the charges,
