Newhall Pair Sentenced for Embezzling

Closing the book on one of the largest embezzlement cases in California history, a judge Wednesday sentenced a Newhall couple to state prison and ordered them to pay more than $2.7 million in restitution for stealing money from their family-run escrow firm.

Harold and Katherine Wiener faced as much as five years in prison each for illegally funneling millions from their Country Oaks Escrow to pay business expenses and support a lavish lifestyle.

After a hotly contested sentencing hearing Wednesday, which lasted more than four hours, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl sentenced Harold Wiener to four years and his wife to two years in prison.

In addition, the judge ordered the the couple to repay $2,705,821 to escrow agents, Fidelity Corp. and National Union Fire Insurance. That figure includes the amount embezzled, plus 10% interest since 1994.

Harold Wiener, 53, pleaded guilty in January to one count of filing a false tax return and no-contest to one count of unauthorized disbursements from an escrow trust account.

Katherine Wiener, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of making misstatements or omissions on escrow papers and no-contest to one count of unauthorized disbursement from an escrow trust account.