Latest news with #Villalobos
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former treasurer of state foreign language teacher association charged with theft of over $240K from organization
A Muskego-Norway School District teacher and former treasurer of a nonprofit organization is facing a felony charge alleging she stole over $240,000 from the nonprofit and used it for her personal benefit. Kellie Villalobos, 51, was charged June 2 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one felony count of theft from a business setting over $100,000. If convicted, Villalobos could face a fine of up to $25,000, up to 12½ years in prison, or both, according to the criminal complaint. As of the afternoon of June 4, Villalobos' name was still listed on the Muskego-Norway School District's website as a Spanish teacher. Muskego-Norway School District marketing and communications specialist Alyssa Meyer did not immediately respond to a reporter's phone or email messages seeking comment. According to the criminal complaint: From September 2014 until February 2024, Villalobos was treasurer for the Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers, a nonprofit organization providing professional development for world language teachers. Villalobos' role meant she had access to the organization's financial accounts. The complaint accuses Villalobos of misappropriating over $242,000 from the organization for personal purchases. The investigation began in March 2024 when the association's current finance chair and co-treasurer made a complaint to the Milwaukee Police Department after the organization did a preliminary audit of its financial accounts. The audit revealed that at least $150,000 was missing or unaccounted for, the complaint said. Issues were first noticed in January 2024, when the complaint said Villalobos spent down the organization's accounts to the point where it could not pay its bills. The Hilton Paper Valley Hotel notified the association on Jan. 25, 2024, that it had not paid a $17,075.72 bill from its November 2023 annual conference. Villalobos said she had forgotten about the bill because she had a house fire, the complaint said. She said the hotel should receive payment by Jan. 30, 2024, but that did not happen. Villalobos then said she had been mistaken about the timing of the payment and that she would issue a check. Hilton received the check Feb. 5, 2024, but it was rejected for insufficient funds, and the hotel notified the association on Feb. 10. Villalobos said she would arrange payments made on a credit card in $5,000 increments. On Feb. 13, 2024, Villalobos deposited $3,000 from her personal account to the association's account, but that check bounced. When confronted, Villalobos claimed she accidentally used the association's credit card instead of her own and would reimburse the organization for the error. Villalobos was removed as treasurer Feb. 29, 2024. After Villalobos' removal, several association members conducted an in-depth audit of her financial activities. When Villalobos started as treasurer in 2014, the organization's financial account balance was $141,354.63. From 2018 to 2024 the organization noticed the account's balance diminish rapidly from a starting balance of $203,799.94 in 2018 to $1,597.18 in 2024, the complaint said. The organization's typical annual expenses came to about $34,000, an association official told police. That amount included the November conference and other expenses such as print, officer stipends and scholarships. The specific annual amounts could vary, but over a seven-year period, anticipated expenses should have totaled about $238,000, the complaint said. Instead, expenses totaled $626,191.92 between 2018 and 2024. When an investigator with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office reviewed the organization's financial account statements, they discovered "hundreds of fraudulent transactions," the complaint said. For example, the investigator found: 47 transactions for Walmart from Jan. 13, 2022, through Nov. 4, 2023, totaling $4,776.31 for an account under Villalobos' name; items from 41 of those transactions were delivered to Villalobos' home. $2,161.96 in transactions to Villalobo's WE Energies account between January 2020 and October 2023 multiple transactions to a travel website, totaling $5,424.34 between November 2018 and April 2022 35 payments totaling $5,568.82 to Villalobos' Spectrum account charged to association credit cards between November 2019 and September 2023 256 item purchases from Amazon by Villalobos totaling $7,092.19 between August 2021 and January 2024 69 transactions for Instacart between August 2020 and November 2023 totaling $5,627.34. The delivery address for most of those transactions was Villalobos' house. An arrest warrant has been issued for Villalobos; no hearing for the case has been set yet, according to online court records. When a reporter tried calling May Y Lee, Villalobos' attorney, at her law office the afternoon of June 4, the person who answered said Lee was not available and declined comment. Villalobos did not immediately respond to a reporter's phone calls requesting comment. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Villalobos accused of theft of over $240K from nonprofit
Chicago Tribune
02-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Waukegan police take toys on patrol to bolster community bonds; ‘It shows officers as real people'
Some Waukegan police officers had a different sort of partner on patrol with them last month — inanimate objects like teddy bears and soccer balls lent to the department by city youths. Sgt. Alejos Villalobos said some officers staged traffic stops with the toys, or made it look like they were helping deal with evidence. In one case, the item accompanied the officer to the shooting range. 'They did some staging with the toys,' Villalobos said. 'It gave them a chance to get out of their routine as patrol officers. Some of the officers were having fun with it.' The officers were participating in the fifth-annual Toy Ride Along Program jointly operated by the police department and the Waukegan Park District through much of May, where children's toys become partners of the city police. Jonathan Cochrane, a recreation specialist with the Park District who operates the program, said children of all ages were asked to bring a favorite toy to the Fieldhouse Sports, Fitness and Aquatics Center by May 8. Once the toys were collected, Cochrane said they were taken to the police department, where they were assigned to a 'partner' with whom they rode along in a squad car for as long as two weeks before going back to the Park District and the children. Participating children then received more than the return of the stuffed animal, sports equipment or other possession. Cochrane said there was a 'goodie bag' from the police filled with pictures and other mementoes. 'They got pictures in the bag so they could see where their toys were, and how they were used,' Cochrane said. 'This is a good collaborative effort between the police and the Park District. It's a really cool idea.' Along with the pictures, Villalobos said the youngsters received a certificate from the police documenting the occasion, a rubber police car, sticker badges for a 'junior police officer' and more. Police Commander George Valko of the Community Policing Division, said the program helps develop a relationship with the youth in the community at a young age. They are entrusting something of importance to them to a member of the police department. 'The toy means a lot to these kids,' Valko said. 'It could be a baby doll they've had all their lives. It means a lot to our officers to take care of it. It's good for our community to be part of this. It shows a different side of the officers, too.' Officers volunteer to take the toys on a 'ride-along.' Villalobos said different departments, like patrol, criminal investigation and community policing, all get involved. The program started when the COVID pandemic limited ways police could interact with community members. Community relations is another important ingredient to the program. Valko said that at some point, a person may remember the officer with his or her toy from the pictures and see them around town. 'They might talk about it,' Valko said. 'It serves as a bridge to the community. It shows officers as real people.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Inmate stabbed to death inside Las Vegas-area prison: sources
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada prison officials are investigating the alleged murder of an inmate inside High Desert State Prison outside Las Vegas, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Robert Villalobos, 38, an inmate in Nevada through an agreement with the state of Arizona, who was serving a life sentence, was stabbed multiple times in a common area of the prison on April 19, sources said. The killing appeared to be gang-related, and three to four suspects have been identified, according to sources. The unit where the stabbing occurred was placed on lockdown. Villalobos was convicted in 2017 for attacking and plotting to kill a detention officer who was stabbed more than 20 times inside the Pinal County, Arizona, jail, the Associated Press reported. The officer survived. 'Court documents indicate the defendants have ties to the Arizona Mexican Mafia prison gang,' the AP reported. Villalobos was transferred to Nevada's prison system on Nov. 20, 2024, the Nevada Department of Corrections reported. The department also announced the recent deaths of two additional inmates. Michael Sonner, a death row inmate, was pronounced dead at High Desert State Prison on April 23, according to the department. Sonner, 57, appeared to have collapsed in his cell, sources said. Sonner killed a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper in 1993. Samuel Abraham, 71, was pronounced dead at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center on April 19. He was serving 840 months to life with the possibility of parole at North Nevada Correctional Center for sexual assault, kidnapping in the first degree, and use of a deadly weapon, according to the department. Sources said he appeared to die of natural causes. An autopsy was requested for all three inmates, and next-of-kin was notified, the department said. To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Docs: Parents charged after kids test positive for cocaine, other drugs
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A man and a woman were recently arrested and charged with endangering a child after their two children tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and other drugs, according to court documents. As we previously reported, Brandon Garibay, 24, and Clarissa Villalobos, 21, were arrested on April 18 and April 19, respectively, and charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child with a bond set at $50,000 each, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's Office: 2 arrested after children test positive for drugs According to court documents, on April 1, the Sheriff's Office was notified about an active Child Protective Services (CPS) case at a home located at the 1300 block of Southwood Road about two children who came out positive for 'narcotics.' The two children involved in the case were identified as a 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl. Garibay was identified as their dad, and Villalobos as their mom, according to court documents. The CPS case was initiated on March 8, when the Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic violence call at the home, according to court documents. A CPS investigator said that on March 11, she arrived at the home to begin her investigation. She said that she encountered the homeowner, but she did not make contact with any of the children's parents, according to court documents. According to court documents, the investigator said that a couple of hours later that day, she met with Villalobos at the 300 block of Isaias Avenue. Villalobos confirmed to the investigator that she does smoke marijuana on occasions, but then later denied smoking. Villalobos also denied using any other narcotics in front of her children but then admitted that Garibay consumed narcotics, she just did not know which ones he used, according to court documents. According to court documents, the investigator said she met with Garibay the next day. Garibay admitted smoking marijuana occasionally, and also said he has tried weed, mushrooms, Xanax, cocaine, and alcohol. Garibay also said the last time he used cocaine was back in January, and that he smokes marijuana approximately five times a week. On March 17, the children took a hair follicle test, and 10 days later, the boy's results came back as an 'unsuitable specimen,' and the girl's results showed she tested positive for cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine, and carboxy-THC, according to court documents. According to court documents, on April 1, the investigator met with Villalobos again, who denied exposing her children to any narcotics and shifted the blame to the homeowner of the home at the 1300 block of Southwood Road and a friend. Villalobos said she knew the homeowner and a friend used methamphetamine and cocaine within the home. She also said that neither she nor Garibay consumed narcotics around their children, according to court documents. According to court documents, on April 4, Villalobos met with the Sheriff's Office to provide a voluntary statement. Villalobos, once again, denied her children ever being exposed to any of the narcotics they tested positive for by either her or Garibay. Villalobos also said the homeowner and a friend used narcotics, but in a different bedroom and never around the children. Villalobos also denied that neither she nor Garibay consumed narcotics, according to court documents. According to court documents, Villalobos said that Garibay would smoke TCH vape near the kids, on the opposite side of the room. Villalobos continued to deny that the children were ever directly exposed to any narcotics. She concluded saying that the children were either under her supervision or Garibay's and never with anybody else inside the home. On April 10, the Sheriff's Office received an email from the investigator that contained the hair follicle results for the boy. He tested positive for the presence of cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, benzoylecgonine, methamphetamine, and carboxy-THC, according to court documents. According to court documents, attempts were made to contact Garibay but were unsuccessful. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
VA police officer shares his journey through Marine Corps, SAPD
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) —Veterans Affairs Police Officer Joe Villalobos shared how his journey through the Marine Corps and time with the San Angelo Police Department helped him to his current position during Military Appreciation Night at the 2025 San Angelo Rodeo. Villalobos shared with Carolyn McEnrue that he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after graduating. 'I knew college wasn't for me and I wanted to just try something a little bit harder,' he said. 99-year-old WW2 veteran attends San Angelo Rodeo Villalobos did two tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan during his eight years of service. While talking with McEnrue, Villalobos shared it would be so hot on the flight line in Iraq that their boots would melt to the ground while crews worked on aircraft if they stood in place for too long. 'The first time I stepped off a plane, I felt like somebody had a blow dryer just in my face,' he said. 'It was dry heat, all the time.' During his tours in Afghanistan, Villalobos went from working on planes to helicopters, specifically ammunition. After leaving the military, Villalobos moved to San Angelo with his family and began work as a patrol officer at SAPD. When asked why he started working at the VA as a police officer, Villalobos said, 'Being a veteran myself, I wanted to work closer to veterans and still be a police officer, so it was a great opportunity for me to shift over that way.' Villalobos is the only police officer that is assigned to the VA clinic in San Angelo near Sunset Mall. While on the job, he secures the location and talks with other veterans as they come in. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
