A former Contra Costa Fire Protection District battalion chief has pleaded no contest to felony grand theft, the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office announced. Louis Manzo, Jr., 58, of Danville, has been caught red-handed in a scheme of falsifying records to pocket over $46,000 of the district's funds.
Manzo, who was originally charged in 2019, was accused of doctoring his timekeeping records, and paid time off requests to line his own pockets between 2014 and 2019, according to the District Attorney’s Office. In a statement obtained by Contra Costa County, District Attorney Diana Becton expressed her disdain for such corruption, "Acts of public corruption erode the integrity of our institutions that are here to serve our communities."
As a part of his plea, the ex-battalion chief has been handed a sentence which appears to be a slap on the wrist considering the nature of his crime: 30 days in a Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program, one year of court probation, and 30 hours of community service. In addition, Manzo must cough up restitution and fines, stay away from Fire District employees and premises, and is now subject to financial records searches and seizures.
Notably, the felony plea will hit Manzo where it may hurt most—in his retirement funds. Under Government Code section 7522.72, Manzo's county pension benefits are expected to take a dive. Deputy District Attorney Steven Bolen stated, "The resolution in this case ensures that the misappropriated funds are returned to the Fire District," indicating a closure to this flagrant abuse of public trust.
