U.S. Grand Jury Indicts Moorpark Councilman

The mayor pro tem of Moorpark, who until recently worked as a postal clerk, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of embezzling $5,500 in Post Office funds, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

Danny Woolard, a city councilman since 1984, is accused of stealing money from “what he’d take in in his till,” said Asst. U. S. Atty. George B. Newhouse. He said the allegation is unrelated to Woolard’s work on the council.

Woolard told reporters that he would plead innocent but would not comment “until such time that any charges are substantiated or proven in a court of law. I have no intention of resigning from the Moorpark City Council.”

The alleged shortage in Woolard’s cash transactions was revealed by audits June 13 and Sept. 25, Newhouse said Monday.

The books of window clerks are not balanced daily. Clerks are responsible for turning in cash on hand above $50, and audits take place about once every three months.

Arraignment Dec. 1

The grand jury handed down the indictment Friday after a two-month investigation. Woolard is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 1 in U. S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Moorpark Postmaster Monte Preston said Woolard had worked for the Postal Service since 1973 and had been a window clerk in Moorpark for five years.

The councilman resigned his postal job Sept. 26, one day after the second audit was completed, Preston said.

Preston said Woolard’s indictment shocked the 20 employees at the post office.

“Dan was a good employee. His attendance was outstanding. He got along with the public. He’s well-liked by everybody at work,” Preston said.

Pro-Development Stance

Woolard, 39, was elected as a pro-development candidate in the rapidly growing town. He was a leading spokesman for a managed-growth measure sponsored by the City Council that was defeated in the Nov. 4 election. He has clashed with slow-growth activists, whose ballot initiative was approved in the same election.

Since July, Woolard has served as mayor pro tem, a largely ceremonial distinction on the five-member council.

“I was surprised as anyone,” said Clint Harper, a newly elected councilman and Wollard political foe.

“I think the council is very sensitive to the presumption of innocence,” Harper said. “We all want to see it resolved so we can get on with pressing issues.”