Mental exam ordered for man jailed in Fresno school embezzling

Published online on Friday, Nov. 06, 2009

A former business manager who has admitted stealing $422,000 from a tiny southwest Fresno school district was in jail Thursday after a judge ordered him to undergo a mental evaluation.

Within the next three months, Leonard Robinson will be transferred to a state prison to undergo the examination, said Glenn LoStracco, who represents Robinson.

The prison exam will help Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Conklin determine the appropriate sentence for Robinson, 52, of Fresno. Once the exam is completed, Robinson will return to the Fresno County Jail and await his sentencing.

According to court records, Robinson has pleaded guilty to grand theft and second-degree burglary. Because of the plea, Conklin said he was leaning toward a prison sentence of three years, instead of the maximum term for those crimes, which is five years and eight months.

Robinson has no criminal record, LoStracco said. The prison exam could help Robinson get a lesser sentence, LoStracco said.

Prosecutors say Robinson embezzled about $422,000 from the Orange Center Elementary School District from October 2005 to January of this year. The burglary charge stems from stealing a district computer's hard drive in an attempt to cover up the theft, prosecutors say.

LoStracco said Robinson stole money to feed his gambling addiction. Robinson's desire to change his life led to him being caught and pleading guilty to the charges, LoStracco said.

Robinson, who was arrested in May, had been free on $25,000 bail before he was taken into custody Wednesday morning.

The Orange Center school district on Cherry Avenue has one school that serves about 310 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Robinson was business manager for 21 years.