LUCERNE — The Lake County District Attorney filed charges against husband-and-wife Rowland and Jayne Mosser of Lucerne for alleged fraudulent acts including embezzlement committed against the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center between January 1, 2005 and August 12, 2005.
Mosser, 63, was hired as Executive Director of the center in July 2002. He resigned that position in August 2005. He has been charged with four felony counts of embezzlement, grand theft by an employee, grand theft and keeping a false record of government funds. Jayne Mosser has been charged with a single felony count of committing grand theft.
The investigation was spurred after individuals associated with the senior center alleged Mosser stole money from the center. The investigation began in 2004, headed by the Lake County Sheriff”s Department until the DA”s office stepped in, taking over the investigation more than a year ago. On January 30, a search warrant was served on Rowland”s Lucerne residence to seize two computers and documents.
That day Mosser stood outside his dilapidated, red-tagged home near his Mercedes with Bluetooth in hand, denying he stole any money. As previously reported in a Record-Bee article dated January 30, Mosser said, “I never stole any money. I don”t even know how much money they say I stole.”
Just one month later, Mosser served at the Stars of Lake County awards ceremony as a presenter of an award for Non-Profit Organization of the Year.
The staff of the District Attorney”s office reviewed tens of thousands of documents as part of its year-and-a-half investigation. Several witnesses were also interviewed.
“Unfortunately, with our slim resources, it took a long time to conclude the investigation,” DA Jon Hopkins said Thursday.
“I had to hire a retired prosecutor and investigator for us even to be able to handle the case. They did a very diligent job of following up on many items of information that came in during the investigation, and we feel that the evidence is sufficient to file these charges and move forward with the prosecution,” Hopkins said.
While officials from the Lucerne Senior Center could not be reached Thursday, a Lucerne citizen expressed her relief that Mosser was charged.
“I am so grateful that the DA”s office did come in and do a full investigation. Yay! I”m just in celebration. He was blatantly exploiting the senior population. I”m glad that”s going to manifest,” Lucerne resident Lenny Matthews said, referring to the prosecution.
Arrest warrants have been issued for both Rowland and Jayne Mosser, with bail set at $10,000. At press time neither had been booked into the Lake County Jail. According to a Thursday press release issued by the DA”s office, “Attorneys for the Mossers have arranged to have them surrender on the warrants to the Lake County Jail.”
“They”ve been offered the opportunity to turn themselves in rather than being arrested in the community. If it doesn”t happen tomorrow, then something different will happen. I expect that will be accomplished tomorrow at the latest,” Hopkins said.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com
