Ex-Pomona Official Arraigned in Theft of County Funds
A former assistant chief deputy clerk of the Pomona Municipal Court entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment Friday on charges of misappropriating more than $240,000 from Los Angeles County.
Michael La Motte, 39, is charged with taking the money between March 1993 and September 1995. He is being held on $360,000 bail and will appear in court again Oct 2. The Glendora resident plead not guilty in Los Angeles Municipal Court to one count of misappropriation of public funds, three counts of evading state income taxes and five counts of forgery of signatures on accounting documents, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Rosenthal.
La Motte allegedly acknowledged to Pomona court officials in September that he had been taking money, according to court officials. La Motte was placed on leave and later resigned, court officials said. La Motte was arrested on suspicion of grand theft by Pomona police Sept. 21, the day after he left his court post. However, he was not charged.
La Motte was arrested again Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege he took more than 100 checks written to the court by cities to cover the cost of processing parking tickets.
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