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Former San Benito County Free Library employee Mary Alvarez pleaded not guilty on Sept. 4 to charges of conspiracy to commit a crime in an ongoing embezzlement case. The following day Erin Baxter appeared in court and her preliminary trial was continued. Baxter pleaded not guilty in July.
Both are represented by public defender Harry Damkar. On July 10, Deputy District Attorney Toby Hasler announced his office and Baxter’s lawyer were in discussions regarding a settlement.
Alvarez is scheduled back in court Oct. 29 and Baxter on Oct. 31.
With regards to Baxter’s case, Damkar said he requested the continuance because of the “extensive financial information” he has to review.
Baxter is charged with three felony counts involving an alleged embezzlement scheme, including forgery and conspiracy to commit a crime with public funds.
According to court documents, Baxter allegedly spent between $100,000 and $500,000 of the library’s money between July 2022 and April 2023 on merchandise.
San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor previously told BenitoLink that the merchandise, including camping equipment and electronics, was found at Baxter’s home. He also said Baxter, whose name was not released at the time, opened up a number of accounts that allowed her to order merchandise. No actual cash had been taken, he said.
According to court documents, Alvarez allegedly “took past-due invoices, forwarded to another to be altered, passed or uttered altered invoices to auditor controller for payment.”
San Benito County District Attorney Joel Buckingham previously told BenitoLink the invoices were from contractors that had performed services for the library. If she is found guilty, she will face up to three years in jail.
The library has been in the spotlight since May 2023 when the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department began investigating a criminal complaint. That investigation, led by the FBI, resulted in embezzlement charges for Baxter, the former supervising librarian. She had been a county employee since January 2017.
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