A Moreno Valley Unified School District employee accused of stealing numerous computers and other devices, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, from his employer must stand trial for embezzlement and other charges, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Abdul Sheriff Kamara, 70, of Moreno Valley, was arrested in March following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton found there was sufficient evidence to bound Kamara over for trial on two counts of embezzlement by an employee, one count of burglary and a sentence-enhancing white collar crime allegation.
The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Sept. 2 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Hammond, school district “resource officers” — deputies hired to work security at campuses — were informed in the first half of March that a series of thefts had occurred.
The investigation soon pointed to Kamara as the alleged thief, though no other details were disclosed, including his specific position within the district.
Hammond said sufficient evidence was gathered for a search warrant, which was served at the defendant’s residence in the 26000 block of Regency Way, near Eucalyptus Avenue, on March 19.
“Deputies recovered stolen laptops and additional items that belonged to the school district,” the sergeant said. “The items included hundreds of different types of electronic devices and thousands of various pieces of equipment.”
It was unclear whether Kamara allegedly may have intended to sell the loot.
“The total value of the recovered items was estimated over $750,000,” Hammond said.
The defendant was taken into custody without incident. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave from his job.
Kamara has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.
It’s shocking to see an employee from a school district accused of stealing devices worth so much. I wonder how this will impact the students and their access to technology. see here