Former Stockton Unified School District Board President AngelAnn Flores was arrested Friday on charges stemming from an investigation into allegations of theft of public funds and insurance fraud.
Flores, a two-term trustee representing Area 2, is charged with theft of public funds, grand theft of money exceeding $950, embezzlement by a public official and insurance fraud. Each charge is a felony. A court date was not announced on Friday. Flores’ bail is set at $175,000.
According to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department, the SUSD interim superintendent – Traci Miller – contacted the law enforcement in April 2023 concerned about Flores’ potential misuse of funds through her assigned district credit card. The sheriff’s office began investigating and found probable cause to execute a search warrant of Flores’ electronic devices and other evidence in November of that year. The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the four charges.
The sheriff’s office said that all seven board trustees’ district credit card usage was analyzed. The other trustees were found to be in compliance with their card usage.
“Public officials are expected to conduct themselves with high ethical standards and even more so as the board president,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The San Joaquin District Attorney’s office did not release a statement beyond announcing the charges.
Flores’ attorney, former District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar, stated the charges are retaliation for Flores’ desire to investigate fraudulent practices at SUSD and her intention to sue the county and Sheriff’s Department in connection to November’s raid of her home. Salazar also took issue with what she called a “high-risk stop” usually reserved for violent criminals when Flores was arrested in the area of West Lane and Alpine Road in front of a television crew.
“They get a high-risk stop on a person who doesn’t even own a gun?” asked Verber Salazar. “She would have voluntarily surrendered.”
On April 9, Flores filed a claim, the precursor to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, against San Joaquin County authorities. Her claim alleges that sheriff’s deputies who raided Flores’ house on Nov. 14 and seized her electronics violated her 4th Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure and tarnished her reputation. County officials have 45 days to respond.
Salazar also said the presence of a TV crew at the arrest was no coincidence.
“We’re all supposed to be so gullible that the press just happened to be there?” she asked. “It was a set up.”
On Saturday, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department released a press release addressing Salazar’s statements. The department stated that bodycam footage will show that the traffic stop which led the Flores’s arrest was done in a safe and professional manner and without incident. The sheriff’s department also said it did not inform anyone in the media about the details prior to the arrest.
“The location and timing of the traffic stop were selected with the utmost consideration for the community,” part of the sheriff’s department’s statement stated. “In an effort to minimize potential distress to the children, parents, and staff at the charter school where Trustee Flores appears to be working, deputies conducted the traffic stop after she had left the vicinity of the school located on the 2500 block of West Lane. The arrest took place near the intersection of West Lane and Alpine Ave.”
Flores was reelected to her second term as a trustee in 2022 as part of a “reformers” slate of candidates, and was elected the board president soon after the election. She held the position until last December, when Kennetha Stevens of Area 7 was elected to lead the board.
Stevens said in a school district statement, “As Board President, I can confirm the SUSD School Board’s commitment to remain focused on education and moving the district forward. Despite today’s events, we will continue to do our part to remain transparent and keep students at the forefront.”
SUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez also released a statement: “As Superintendent my job is to focus on our students, their education and the proper use of public funds. SUSD has no additional information on the criminal proceeding that Trustee AngelAnn Flores will be facing. The investigation is under the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department.”
The sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office indicated said the investigation is ongoing.
SUSD has been dealing with legal issues and allegations of financial malfeasance in recent years. A Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team report found financial malfeasance and led to ongoing investigations by the district attorney’s office, the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Justice. One of the primary issues was a $7.3 million district contract approved without proper bidding in August, 2021. Flores was the only trustee to vote against the contract.
Reporter Michael Fitzgerald contributed to this story
So what about the million dollar air filter fiasco? Will the DA do anything about that?
That is subject of the Federal investigation, which I suspect we will hear about soon. This is nothing more than a distraction — a desperate attempt from guilty parties to silence Flores and avoid prosecution. This thing is going to get much bigger.
Tuesday will the one year mark for the DA’s announcement of investigation into SUSD corruption. Timing makes me wonder…
100% retaliation. A camera crew?
A long public post about arrest on FB by SJSO? Looks like a PR arrest by DA to appease his 209 times supporters who put him in office. As they say, the “Friday news dump”. Hmm …
What is the status of investigations by DA, FBI and US DOJ – not just on the $7.3 air filter lack of bidding process- but bigger issue – the $30 million fraud by SUSD as outlined in SJ Grand Jury report? Thats the bigger story of fraud and theft of public funds.
Well Said!
100%! This is all political, period.
I believe in the adage wait till it is all said and done. Yogi Berra said “it is not over till it is over”! I believe there is a lot more to be revealed. Hold your opinion until then!
Yes our District Attorney set up a media show for what end???
Great questions and ones that need to be answered. Flores is not going to be silenced and when this is over she will be owed an apology and a large court settlement.
Make no mistake, Angelann Flores is the victim of political retaliation and is paying the price for raising her voice fight corruption and for the well-being of Stockton Unified students. Over the past several years while millions of dollars and fraudulent practices have occurred in connection with the School District, Angelann has been working with Federal Investigators to prosecute those who are responsible. For her courage, she has been harassed and bullied by a local social media group’s hand-picked elected official.
On November 14, 2023, AngelAnn’s home was wrongfully raided by local law enforcement after the intentional violation of a court order by members of the District Attorney’s Office. This was clear retaliation and this past week we filed an action in court against those responsible for the violation of her civil rights.
Just last week, Ms. Flores served her notices of claims under the California Tort Claims Act against the San Joaquin DA, Sheriff and SUSD, signaling her intention to sue these authorities for their unlawful actions.
So, it is not surprising that today with a camera crew following along, local law enforcement made a very public display of the arrest of a person who has dedicated her life to helping this community. AngelAnn would have voluntarily surrendered to local law enforcement. She has no prior history, no weapons were taken from her home, and she has been a model citizen who has fully cooperated with the Sheriff’s Office. This public display is nothing more than retaliation for her courage to stand up to corruption.
The arrest was meant to be purposely high profile in public without warning on a Friday with disproportionately high bail of $175,000. when law enforcement knew she would be unable to have a hearing until after the weekend. This was a cynical and retaliatory action by the DA and law enforcement in response to Ms. Flores’ lawful use of every citizen’s right to hold their government authorities accountable through her reporting of abuse under the Tort Claims Act.
Tori Verber Salazar
CEO
Law Offices of Tori Verber Salazar
Tori@tvslaw.co
(209)800-4706
I hear that along with Salazar, she’s being represented by Mark Bower.
Mark Bowman.
These charges are going no where and are little more then an attempt to distract the public from an impending federal investigation involving millions of missing federal dollars. If the districts most vocal whistle blower/critic has been retaliated in such a manner, then you know this is just the tip of the iceberg. If we do not see more arrests then we will know that corruption extends outside the district and into other government and law enforcement agencies.
The fact that the sheriff issued a statement on 209 times says a lot about their relationship, I think. That is concerning.
These charges will either be dropped or the case dismissed by the court. The district issued Flores a credit card to pay for district related expenses. The DA claims that in her six years as a board member she defraud the district over $980 — or approximately $165 per year. Aside from the minuscule amount in question, those charges were reported to the district and signed off on. Even if it is shown that the charges were not appropriate, the government must prove Flores had the specific intent to defraud the district (CRIMINAL RESOURCE MANUAL CRM:500-999). Unless they get a letter of confession, that simply is not going to happen.
So they go for a “little fish” while the real “big fish” are free, in order to be perceived as dealing with millions of dollars of corruption committed by the big fish? This is a very bad look for both the DA and SJCSO and they believe Stocktonians are dumb.
None of the amounts listed above address the Millions of misused and missing funds the FBI is currently investigating. I served for 10-years as Chief Union Steward for non-custody staff working at the California Department of Corrections. On occasion an employee was reimbursed for state activities, only to find out the activity was not business related. What did the state do? It took the amount directly out of the employees paycheck. When the employee objected, they discovered their only recourse was to take the matter to small-claims court. DA Freitas filed fraud charges over $980 — an amount Judge Judy wouldn’t bother with.
I would think if the accounting department of susd reviewed the receipts as they should have, they would have informed flores if she was in the wrong and why and to pay back if she owed. Did they approve receipts or not?