Accused Embezzler Says He’s Scapegoat for Others : Trial: Ex-director for Irvine housing program concedes he made mistakes, but only to keep charity afloat. Prosecutors describe Clyde Weinman as a man who stole from poor to bankroll a lavish lifestyle.

Facing charges that he embezzled money meant for the homeless, Clyde E. Weinman admitted Wednesday that he has made mistakes but insisted that he has become the scapegoat for those who mismanaged the charity.

“If I had to do things over again, I would do it differently, but now I’m facing jail, financial ruin, being stripped of my kids--all for something I believe in my heart was right,” Weinman said as he sat in his kitchen, surrounded by his wife and two children.

Weinman, 44, former executive director at Irvine Temporary Housing, a charity for the homeless, is on trial in Orange County Superior Court on charges that he forged several hundred checks, totaling about $400,000. Closing arguments are scheduled for today.

Prosecutors depict Weinman as a reverse Robin Hood--a man who stole from the poor to pay for a posh home and fancy car.

“It all went for him to live a lavish lifestyle,” Deputy Dist. Atty. William Overtoom said Wednesday. “These people don’t have a home, but he’s driving a Mercedes-Benz. In all my years of doing this, I have to say this is one of the lowest of the low. Never have I run into a case where a guy is as vile as this, low enough to steal from the homeless.”

But Weinman insisted that he put nearly $65,000 of his own money--including his wife’s paychecks from teaching, even his children’s savings account--to help keep Irvine Temporary Housing afloat. He ran into trouble while forging checks to himself to cover his own bills, he said.

As tears welled, Weinman denied any wrongdoing Wednesday and contended that he has been victimized by a poorly run charity that needed to blame someone for its financial straits and persistent funding shortfalls.

“I’m a scapegoat for all of this,” said Weinman, who faces 13 forgery and grand-theft charges. Weinman, who is free on bail, could face eight years in prison and $200,000 in fines if convicted, officials said.

Weinman acknowledges that his unorthodox methods were inappropriate, and forging checks was wrong, but said he never improperly gained financially from his job.

Irvine Temporary Housing was created in 1985 to find shelter for the homeless in the Irvine area. The agency experienced a setback after the scandal broke, but continues to work to help the homeless.

Prosecutors have alleged that Weinman ran a high stakes “Ponzi scheme,” putting just enough money into the bank to cover the agency’s bills and altering the books to hide the truth from co-workers who trusted him.

“Mr. Weinman lied to everyone. He pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes,” Overtoom said.

The lifestyle Weinman led would have been difficult on his $30,000-a-year salary, prosecutors said.

Using embezzled money, Weinman turned his Irvine home into a virtual “Taj Mahal” that included a pool, sauna and lavish landscaping, Overtoom said. Weinman also leased a luxury car and had a ready supply of spending money, the prosecutor said.

Weinman strongly denies the charges. He said he is a handyman who enjoys working around the house, and says many of the renovations were made before he started working for the agency.

Weinman’s arrest in November, 1992, sent shock waves through charity circles in Orange County. Neighbors, former co-workers and others said they could not believe that Weinman, who had seemingly dedicated his career to helping the needy, could be guilty of such crimes.

Supporters say Weinman always went beyond the call of duty, combing local parks to find those in need, never thinking twice about lending a homeless person cash or finding them food. He once arranged for a free ride for a person who had been severely injured in an out-of-state accident.

Irvine Temporary Housing is not the first to allege misconduct against Weinman. While working at a poverty law center in Los Angeles, a co-worker has alleged that Weinman siphoned funds. Weinman, who denied any involvement and has not been charged in that case, contended that the co-worker--who was later convicted--was trying to blame Weinman for the misconduct to save himself.

Weinman said he made the strategic decision not to testify on his own behalf for fear that the Los Angeles case would emerge before the jury.

“All I ever really wanted to do in my adult life was to help the homeless and the disabled,” Weinman said. “My heart was dedicated to doing this. I just can’t believe that you can go to jail for something that you believed was right.”