City Worker Faces Judge on Embezzling Charges

A former Long Beach employee who handled cash transactions for the city's Animal Care Services division pleaded not guilty Monday to misappropriating more than $253,000 in public funds.

The charges against Jongluck Mutrais, 59, of Orange, cover an 11-month period between Oct. 1, 2009, and Sept. 1, 2010. City Auditor Laura Doud found, at a new department leader's request, $253,000. However, at her arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Dana Aratani said the city's Animal Care Services Bureau is estimating that she misappropriated more than $500,000 over the course of more than 10 years of employment.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelly Torrealba refused a defense request to reduce Mitrais' bail from $500,000. She has been in custody since Thursday. The alleged misappropriation came to light in August 2010 after the Animal Care Services Bureau began using a comprehensive computer system to track funds, authorities said. (Read attached audit in pdf form.)

Mutrais is charged with one felony count each of misappropriation of public funds, altering or falsifying an account and embezzlement by a public officer, along with six felony counts of filing false income tax returns. She will return to court May 29 for a preliminary hearing setting.

--City News Service