By Denny Walsh
A former University of California, Davis, employee was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to a year and a day in prison for theft of government property.
Beverly Benford of Sacramento pleaded guilty in June, admitting a six-year spree of spending federal funds on hundreds of items for herself, including iPods, camcorders, digital cameras, home security systems, televisions and stereos.
Benford, 67, was employed by UC Davis from 1991 to 2006 at the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program, which is administered through the university and underwritten with federal grants.
The program teaches people eligible for food stamps how to handle food safely and shop for a nutritious diet. It is overseen by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and directed by UC Davis, operating in 40 California counties with an annual budget of between $13 million and $14 million.
Benford was authorized to create purchase orders, approve purchases and certify the receipt of goods purchased by the program. She admitted misidentifying purchases to make it appear they were appropriate expenditures. In other instances, she lied about where items had been delivered to conceal her thievery, Benford acknowledged.
If she earns the maximum 54 days for good behavior, she will serve slightly more than 10 months.
She was also ordered to pay the government restitution of $128,681.80.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.