In August, the Inyo District Attorney’s office announced that Bishop-area resident Rebecca Bragdon had entered pleas of guilty to misappropriation of public funds from the Tri-County Fairgrounds. Sentencing was originally set for October 22nd. According to District Attorney Tom Hardy, the Court moved sentencing from October 22nd to November 19th at 1pm in Bishop. Judge Brian Lamb had been scheduled in a court trial all day on the 22nd which caused the continuance.
Bragdon’s pleas arose from the charges that she embezzled funds from the fairgrounds when she was employed as an office manager from July 2012 through July 2013. The matter was originally investigated by the Inland Division of the California Highway Patrol since the fairgrounds are state-owned facilities.
Ms. Bragdon pled guilty to violating Penal Code section 424, commonly known as misappropriation of public funds and Penal Code section 470, commonly known as forgery. Both charges are felonies. Restitution was also set in the case at $25,979.82.
Under the terms of an agreed upon disposition, Ms. Bragdon may be ordered to serve up to one year in the Inyo County Jail and will be placed on five years of formal probation. Probation terms will include requirements that she pay restitution and be subject to search for stolen property, as well as any other terms which may be deemed appropriate by the sentencing court.
By entering the pleas, Bragdon will also be barred from holding any public office. The terms of incarceration will be determined by the court at the time of sentencing.
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The public should be made whole
They’ll spend more money prosecuting Ms. Bragdon then she embezzled. Ms. Bragdon should have to pay restitution of court cost too.
Thank you for keeping track of, and reporting about, this case. With the lengthy court process and trial date changes, it’s easy to forget about such cases.