22-05-2025
Stanislaus County woman gets 10-year prison sentence in embezzlement case
A Hughson resident who embezzled money from an Oakdale nonprofit organization will be sentenced to a prison term of 10 years and four months, Stanislaus County District Attorney Jeff Laugero announced Wednesday.
Lana Casey, 63, entered an agreement in which she pleaded guilty to 12 felony counts involving grand theft, tax evasion and money laundering, according to a news release. She also admitted to an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement that involved planning and sophistication.
The Hughson resident fraudulently obtained $214,456 from nonprofit organizations that worked with Oak Valley District Hospital in Oakdale. The news release says Casey was a signer of the nonprofit organizations' checking accounts.
The news release stated that it's alleged that after Casey took the nonprofit organizations' money, she also took money from trusts associated with Carolyn W. Reynolds.
Casey will be sentenced June 13 and taken to San Joaquin County to face additional charges related to embezzlement and theft.
In September 2024, Casey was indicted by the Stanislaus County Grand Jury on 79 felony counts. A forensic audit done by the California Franchise Tax Board determined that she had $1.45 million in unreported income from 2018 to 2021, with $1.21 million of that being embezzled. This was the largest white-collar indictment pursued by the county DA's Office.
The case was investigated by Stanislaus County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation, California Franchise Tax Board, Oakdale Police Department and San Joaquin County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation.
'This case is an unfortunate reminder that there are people who obtain a position of trust within an organization for the purpose of stealing the precious donations made by a generous community,' Laugero said in a statement. 'To embezzle these funds for personal gain is the ultimate betrayal of that position of trust, and the severity of the consequences in this case demonstrate the seriousness of this crime.'
