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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former dean at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park has been charged with embezzlement, allegedly for overbilling the school for roughly $1,500 for trips he took, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon announced today.
Paul De La Cerda, 47, was charged Wednesday with one felony count each of misappropriation of government funds and embezzlement of government funds, Gascon's office announced.
He is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 7.
According to the D.A.'s office, between March 2017 and 2019, De La Cerda is accused of overbilling East Los Angeles College of roughly $1,575 for several hotel stays. He allegedly forged documents he submitted for reimbursement, the D.A's office said.
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's, Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau, according to Gascon's office.
``My office will continue to strive to root out public corruption in order to make government clean,'' Gascon said in a statement.
De La Cerda's LinkedIn page says he was dean of instruction, student advancement, workforce & innovation/DEI Programs at East L.A. College from 2013 to June of this year.
Kristin Anhala, executive assistant to the president of East L.A. College, confirmed to City News Service that De La Cerda left the school in June.
De La Cerda's LinkedIn page also says that, since July, he has been assistant superintendent/vice president of instruction at Cabrillo College, in Aptos, California, an unincorporated town in Santa Cruz County. The school's website lists him as vice president of instruction.
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