Former Red Cross Employee Suspected of Taking $144,000

A Salinas man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of embezzling more than $140,000 from the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross, authorities said.

Albert Wilber Wynard, 47, was taken into custody about noon, four days after police were alerted by Red Cross authorities that Wynard, who had left his job as a mid-level manager for the agency after about two years, was suspected of taking $144,056, police said.

Wynard, also known as Albert Wynder, was scheduled to be booked into the Santa Ana City Jail, Police Lt. Jose Garcia said.

Insurance is expected to cover all but $35,000 of the loss. The $35,000 is about 1% of the organization’s budget, spokeswoman Judy Iannaccone said. The loss is not expected to affect services, she said.