A Bakersfield woman today was sentenced to three years state prison after pleading no contest to felony charges of one count of filing a false state income tax return and one count of grand theft in an embezzlement scheme, according to the Franchise Tax Board (FTB).
Blanche Marie Staidle, 69, of Bakersfield, operated a tree and brush clearing company from 1999 - 2001. She was charged with embezzling more than $355,000 during that time by submitting fraudulent invoices to a Santa Monica financial service company for brush clearance work that was never done. Staidle failed to report the embezzled income on her state income tax return in 2001. All income is taxable, including income from illegal activities.
The Santa Monica Police Department investigated the embezzlement and contacted FTB to look into the tax charges.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge John T. Doyle heard the plea in the Compton Court. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Sean Werner prosecuted this case.
In a negotiated plea agreement, Staidle was ordered to pay restitution of more than $400,000 to the state and her victims, including $61,000 in tax, penalties, interest, and the cost of the investigation to FTB.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Mintz handed down the sentence. Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Richard Lowenstein prosecuted this case. This was a joint investigation between the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the Santa Monica Police Department, and FTB.