Woman accused of embezzling from dairy

CLOVIS — Police last week arrested a woman accused of embezzling more than $55,000 in a 16-month period from a Clovis dairy where she worked as a head bookkeeper.

Sunni Castillo, 33, was charged with more than 100 counts of fourth-degree felony forgery, one count of second-degree felony embezzlement and one misdemeanor count of fraud, according to court records.

Officials allege Castillo altered bank statements, forged signatures and employee names on checks and fudged accounting records to cover the tracks.

Castillo’s attorney, Dan Lindsey, said his client is innocent and was “completely shocked and terrified” by the charges.

“She’s innocent of the charges,” Lindsey said. “This is a misunderstanding. We’ve got the documents (employment agreement and pay stubs) to show there was no crime at all.”

Clovis police were contacted Nov. 14 with a report from business owner Wanye Palla that he suspected Castillo of fraudulent activity.

“Wayne said Sunni would receive her payroll checks (one per week) and delete them and forge a new one to herself with a larger amount than she was supposed to receive,” Det. Randy Pitcock wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit. “Wayne said Sunni also gave herself bonuses and changed the hours she worked to reflect more hours. Wayne said Sunni changed the account records by adding more to the payroll taxes to offset the missing money so their accounts balanced hiding the fraudulent activity.”

Staff at Palla Inc. also discovered in Castillo’s desk last month “an original correct check Sunni failed to destroy after she deleted the check number and forged herself another.”

Pitcock wrote that he confirmed as much after reviewing documents provided to him by Wayne Palla, noting “alterations” on checks. On Dec. 6, he executed a search warrant on Castillo’s bank account records and found them closely correlated with forged checks detailed in audit trail records dating back to last summer.

All told, Castillo is alleged to have embezzled $55,946 between July 5, 2017, and mid-November, records show.

Castillo was arrested early Friday and had her first appearance in magistrate court the same day. She entered no plea and was released on personal recognizance pending a preliminary examination Jan. 10.