San Diego
A seventh defendant to be charged with grand theft in connection with the purchasing irregularities case involving the San Diego Unified Port District pleaded innocent Wednesday.
Ronald Barry Lewis, 44, surrendered and was arraigned in San Diego Municipal Court.
Lewis was charged with conspiracy to defraud the port and six counts of grand theft in a complaint filed on June 7. A warrant was issued for his arrest then.
Lewis is a computer consultant who operates his own firm from his Spring Valley home. He was employed by the Port District to provide computer consulting services from mid-1986 to June, 1987, according to the complaint. According to the charges, Lewis charged computers and equipment to NAPA Auto Parts as part of an elaborate scheme in which NAPA sent the invoices to the Port District, which paid them.
Lewis was not authorized to have the items billed to the Port District, according to a declaration attributed to Bruce Hollingsworth, chief administrator for the port.
Judge John Thompson set an Aug. 1 arraignment and allowed Lewis to remain free on his own recognizance.
Meanwhile, the lengthy preliminary hearing of three other men charged with similar offenses continues today before Municipal Judge Nicholas Kasimatis. They are former Port District parking meter repairman Rudi Enriques; Richard Cersosimo, the former purchasing director for the port, and Paul Manes, the former manager of a NAPA store.
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