In a twist of irony, two Stanislaus County clerks will find themselves in in the very court they are accused of stealing from.
Prosecutors have officially filed charges against two former Stanislaus County Superior Court clerks who were accused in late September of embezzling thousands by stealing cash from court fee payments.
In addition to embezzlement by a public official, defendants Barry James Lesko of Modesto and Dawn Marie Rios of Riverbank will face charges of destroying court records. Both are felony counts.
According to police, the cases are similar in nature but unrelated. Police have stated that the two would pocket the cash, mark the fees as paid and later void the transactions.
The two are accused of stealing a combined $6,400.
According to The Modesto Bee, Lesko and Rios have resigned from their positions with the court. Lesko had worked in the traffic division of the Stanislaus County Superior Court while Rios worked as a clerk in the courthouse located in downtown Modesto.
Rios’ arraignment is scheduled for March 4 while Lesko will face his on March 19.
Read more at The Modesto Bee.