A Sonoma County judge ruled this week that former St. Vincent de Paul High School principal Patrick Daly may face a jury on a felony grand-theft charge, moving forward a years-long case built on allegations that he used a school credit card for tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized spending. Daly, 62, was ordered to return for arraignment on Nov. 19 on the single felony count.
The ruling came after a preliminary hearing that included testimony from three witnesses: a Petaluma police investigator and two people associated with the Petaluma school, according to The Press Democrat. Testimony highlighted 49 cash advances made by Daly totaling about $50,000, part of a broader pattern investigators say added up to far more.
Allegations Center on Cash Advances and Pet Expenses
Petaluma police previously said detectives developed probable cause that Daly embezzled more than $100,000 during his tenure as principal of the school, which is Petaluma's only Catholic high school. The alleged charges included $52,000 in cash advances, $3,500 at the San Leandro Marina and $3,000 in pet-related expenses, the newspaper reported in 2023. Daly was also accused of charging thousands of dollars on other expenses, including massages and pet supplies or treatment.
Michael Marovich, chairman of the school's finance committee, testified that he evaluated Daly's credit card records for improprieties in 2023. William Donahue, who told the school community in September 2023 that Daly had made thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges on a school credit card, also testified that he reviewed those records that same year. Under cross-examination from Daly's attorney, James Lassart, who questioned each witness for at least an hour, Marovich responded that he still did not know whether Daly understood that cash advances were prohibited.
Judge Cites Murky Evidence But Lets Case Proceed
Judge John Behnke, who presided over the hearing, said the case is not the cleanest case of embezzlement he has seen and suggested that Daly likely did good work as principal. Behnke also said St. Vincent officials should have communicated the school's credit card policies better, and he noted that Daly provided insufficient evidence to account for some of the spending, including a brief note indicating he had used the card for golf. Despite those reservations, Behnke found enough to send the case to a jury.
Lassart pushed back forcefully on the allegations, telling the court that Daly followed all the rules and that there was no probable cause that his client embezzled anything. Deputy District Attorney Amy Ariyoshi is prosecuting the case for the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office, which filed the single grand-theft count against Daly in August 2024, according to The Press Democrat.
A School in Transition Since the Scandal Broke
Daly was hired as principal in 2017 and ran the school for six years before he was abruptly fired in August 2023, a move that sparked protests from students who supported him, as reported by The Press Democrat. St. Vincent de Paul High School had been administered by St. Vincent de Paul Parish within the Diocese of Santa Rosa until May 2024, when it shifted to an independent, board-run model and changed its name to St. Vincent de Paul College Prep. Petaluma News reported that the school had already announced Mike Casper as its new principal in April 2024 as part of that transition, and the outlet noted in June that the criminal case has languished in the courts ever since and remains unresolved.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Daly in July 2024, and he pleaded not guilty that October to allegations he embezzled at least $100,000 from the school, as noted by The Press Democrat. Daly has consistently denied wrongdoing, previously telling investigators he never touched anything involving the school's bank accounts during his time as principal.
Daly has also taken legal action of his own. In March 2024, he filed a lawsuit against the parish, the school and church leaders alleging wrongful termination, defamation and other claims, and the civil case remains ongoing, The Press Democrat reported The Press Democrat.
