Former Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) maintenance worker Jorge Lopez Paredes pleaded no contest to grand theft of $40,000 worth of district technology equipment during a hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Airport Courthouse, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP).
The 27-year-old was sentenced to eight days in jail, 60 days of community service and five years of probation. The district was awarded $40,734 by the presiding judge and is expected to receive a $7,900 check from the Santa Monica Police Department to cover the money that Paredes collected through sales of the equipment.Â
Paredes will have to serve three years in prison and his community service requirement will triple if he does not pay back the outstanding balance within five years, SMMUSD spokeswoman Gail Pinsker told the SMDP.