LAKEPORT — A judge granted a request to delay the start of the Rowland James Mosser embezzlement trial until July, while the prosecutor made the court aware of the specifics of a plea offer currently on the table, during a brief hearing Monday.
Mosser is charged with two felony counts of embezzlement and two felony counts of grand theft exceeding $400 for allegedly stealing money from the Lucerne Alpine Senior Center during a seven-month period in 2005.
Mosser served as the center”s executive director from January 2002 until resigning in August 2005.
Judge Andrew S. Blum previously scheduled Mosser”s jury trial to begin later this month, but Mosser recently retained a new defense attorney, Mitchell Hauptman, who requested additional time to familiarize himself with the case. Blum granted the request Monday and scheduled the jury trial for mid-July.
Attorney Gary Luck, who represents the Lake County District Attorney”s Office in the case, announced that prosecution has offered Mosser a plea agreement, which will be on the table until the end of May.
Under the agreement, Mosser would plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of grand theft, serve no jail time, be placed on three years probation, be required to complete community service hours and pay restitution in excess of $28,000 to the senior center, Luck said.
Mosser has until May 31, the date of his next court appearance, to agree to the deal, according to Luck.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
