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Former San Benito County Free Library employee Mary Alvarez was sentenced in San Benito County Superior Court to 60 days in county jail and one year of probation on Sept. 9 for her role in an embezzlement scheme that occurred in 2022 and 2023.
San Benito County District Attorney Joel Buckingham said the sentence was part of a plea deal reached with Alvarez, who was not present at the sentencing hearing. Alvarez entered a no contest plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit forgery, which is a misdemeanor.
He said Alvarez is eligible to serve her jail sentence, starting Oct. 7, either consecutively or on weekends.
Buckingham said there is no evidence Alvarez benefitted personally from her role.
“She was more looped up in what Erin [Baxter] was doing rather than an active participant,” he said.
Baxter, the former assistant librarian who was sentenced to 364 days in jail for embezzling about $360,000 from the library, placed Alvarez in an accounting role, Buckingham said.
Baxter and Alvarez both originally pleaded not guilty.
Buckingham said Baxter trained Alvarez, who had no previous experience in accounting. In that role, he said Alvarez forwarded invoices to Baxter knowing that Baxter was altering them.
“The reality is she was told by Erin that it was normal,” he said. “There is no evidence she understood the completeness of the scheme.”
Buckingham said though Alvarez wasn’t properly trained, she was still responsible for her role.
“We need to hold people accountable,” he said.
BenitoLink first reported that the Sheriff’s Office was conducting an investigation into the embezzlement in May 2023. The Sheriff’s Office then requested support from the FBI’s forensic team.
San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor previously told BenitoLink that the merchandise, including camping equipment and electronics, was found at Baxter’s home. Taylor also said Baxter opened up a number of accounts which allowed her to order merchandise. No actual cash had been taken, he said.
On Sept. 9, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved an audit of the library that is related to the embezzlement.
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