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A former interim Supreme Court security officer for the Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association has been accused of stealing nearly $20,000 through a company he created while working and failing to report a conflict of interest under a perjury fine.
Carmelo Marquez, 42, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to one felony of grand theft, three felony conflicts of interest and two felony perjury.
Marquez was initially hired as an independent contractor who handled information security work for Lacera and was appointed interim chief security officer in February 2023. Prosecutors say he’d led him to about $120,000 in a public agreement of about $120,000 to a company he secretly owned, and would earn nearly $20,000 in the process.
Marquez did not disclose any disputes regarding necessary ethics forms from the California Committee on Fair Political Practices, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
“Public services are intended to be a position of trust, not a way for people to enrich themselves through fraud,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “Our office is accountable to protect the interests of the masses and place their own greed ahead of their duties to those they serve.”
Marquez no longer works for Lacera and faces civil lawsuits from agencies claiming fraud, violations of fiduciary duties and conflicts of interest.
If convicted, he faces up to six years and eight months in a state prison. He will return to court on July 17th due to the preliminary hearing environment.
The case remains under investigation by the District Attorney’s Office of Investigation.
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