Rialto school accountant sentenced for embezzling $1.8 million in lunch money

RIALTO, Calif. (KABC) -- A former Rialto Unified School District accountant who embezzled at least $1.8 million in student lunch money was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday.

Judith Oakes may only spend about half that time actually behind bars, but prosecutor Jason Liso was pleased with the sentence.

"She's going to be doing a substantial amount of custody time for somebody who's been living a lifestyle that's pretty lavish," Liso said. "Spending time in county jail or prison is not something that's desirable on her part."

Oakes had worked for the Rialto Unified School District for 25 years.

Surveillance video shows Oakes putting stacks of money into a blue bag bound for the school safe, then stuffing one of the wads of cash into her bra.

In court, Thomas Haldorsen, the district's associate superintendent of personnel services, said Oakes did this countless times over the years.

"I should note that during the entire period of her employment, over $3 million are unaccounted for, and Miss Oakes is believed to have stolen it," Haldorsen said.

The Rialto Police Department said Oakes lived a lavish lifestyle with credit card bills around $10,000 to $12,000 a month.

"She acknowledged that she had a moral crash," said, defense attorney Patrick Milligan, who added that she's already paid back more than $330,000.

The judge has ordered Oakes pay everything back. Both sides have agreed that she will pay $150 a month as soon as she's out of jail. At that rate, it will take more than 800 years before everything is paid back.