Former Hotel Laguna comptroller pleads guilty

A former Hotel Laguna employee has pleaded guilty to embezzlement.

Cydney Ann Ruano, the former comptroller and accountant for the Hotel Laguna, has plead guilty to grand theft charges after stealing more than $100,000 from the hotel. She admitted to embezzling funds from the Hotel between April 1, 2005, and Sept. 30, 2008.

Ruano, 51, was convicted March 18 of grand theft with an enhancement for stealing an amount in excess of $65,000.

Her sentencing is scheduled for May 6. Her sentence can range from probation to four years in a state prison. The hotel will be seeking restitution upwards of $200,000.

— Joanna Clay