Ex-Vista Court Clerk is Fined for False Claim

A former Vista Municipal Court clerk who filed a false expense claim with the county was sentenced Thursday to perform 300 hours of volunteer work and pay the county $677.20.

Jo Allen, 45, of Oceanside, was placed on three years’ probation by San Diego Superior Court Judge Barbara Gamer, who also fined Allen $200.

Allen was fired recently. She had worked for William Hartford, 40, of Fallbrook, who resigned in January as administrator for the Vista Municipal Court.

Her attorney, Rick Mills, told Gamer that it was Allen who blew the whistle on Hartford, who was later charged with 27 counts of embezzlement of public money, perjury and filing false claims. Hartford pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6. Deputy Dist. Atty. Allen Preckel said the county Probation Department recommended that Hartford receive a six-month jail term.

“The entire Hartford case grew out of Mrs. Allen’s disclosures. She had been there five years, and she saw other people suffer under Hartford’s setup,” Mills said.

“This case is being watched by the other clerks . . . I think my client has suffered enough.”

Allen and supervising clerk Kathleen DeForge, of Escondido, were charged March 28 with eight counts each of filing false claims and perjury in connection with billing the county for travel expenses previously paid them by another agency.

Allen and DeForge pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false claim. DeForge was sentenced Sept. 12 to 50 days of public service. She was also ordered to pay $677.50 to the county and fined $500.