Yorba Linda Official Held in Drug Sale Sting

The city’s top finance administrator has been arrested on suspicion of selling methamphetamine to a police informant during an undercover operation in Buena Park, authorities said Friday.

Charles Gordon Vessey, Yorba Linda’s $83,000-a-year finance director, was arrested Wednesday night after the alleged sale in a restaurant parking lot, Buena Park police said.

Sgt. Richard Saak of the Narcotics Division said Vessey, 42, of Chino Hills allegedly sold two ounces of methamphetamine worth about $1,500 to an informant in a parking lot at Orangethorpe Avenue and Beach Boulevard.

Vessey, a 20-year city employee, was being processed into Orange County Jail in Santa Ana late Friday in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Joseph Michael Garner, 23, of Chino Hills was also arrested, Saak said.

Saak said the informant told police that his connection would be bringing a quarter pound of methamphetamine.

“The connection turned out to be the finance director, and he only brought two ounces,” Saak said.

Garner arrived at the parking lot before Vessey and told the buyer--actually a police informant--that his connection wanted the money in advance, Saak said. The buyer, however, said there would be no deal unless the drugs and money were exchanged at the same time. Saak said Vessey drove over and met the buyer.

“Vessey had it on him and handed it to the informant,” Saak said.

Saak said police also searched a storage locker Vessey reportedly rented in Fullerton, but found no drugs.

City Manager Arthur C. Simonian said Vessey is “a very quiet and reserved individual. For him to be arrested for this kind of behavior is a shock to anybody who knows him.”

Simonian said city officials have had an independent audit conducted of the city’s investments. He declined to say what had triggered the audit.

“We certainly wanted to make sure the taxpayers’ money is soundly invested and in no way connected with (Vessey’s) arrest,” Simonian said.

Simonian said the audit confirmed that the city’s finances have not been mishandled.

Vessey’s wife, Lynda, said Friday night from her Chino Hills home that she was not aware of her husband’s arrest nor of any involvement in drugs.

“I had no idea of this,” Lynda Vessey said, adding that she had not spoken to her husband since Wednesday.