Carrie Bonn embezzled $100,000 from the nonprofit Friends of the Mariposa Library. Four years later, an appellate court vacated her conviction, and now a judge has ruled she qualifies for a mental health diversion. The $100,000 question: Will she still need to repay the money?
Carrie Bonn, the woman who embezzled more than $100,000 from the nonprofit Friends of the Mariposa Library, will be allowed to go through a mental health diversion, a judge has ruled.
The move – which comes two years after she plead no contest to criminal charges – comes after an appellate court vacated the previous conviction and remanded the case back to the Mariposa County Superior Court. The court said the previous judge, Michael Fagalde, had “abused his discretion,” in denying Bonn a mental health diversion.
At a hearing Oct. 13, Judge Thomas Bender, said California’s mental health diversion law limits his options.
Judge Bender, who took over the case when Judge Fagalde recused himself, will deal next month with the issue of restitution. So far, Bonn has only repaid about $3,000 of the more than $100,000 she embezzled.
But since her no contest plea has been vacated, it is unclear whether she will stipulate to having committed the crime. Judge Bender will rule on the restitution question next month.
