This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Kids & Family

Embezzler Jason Hitt: 3 Years in Prison

Hitt changes plea - again- and is immediately sent to prison

An ex-Marine admitted embezzling more than $116,000
from a Palm Desert-based Marine scholarship fund and was immediately sentenced to three years in prison.

Jason Patrick Hitt, 36, of Pomona, embezzled from U.S. Marine
Scholarships of the Desert Cities Inc., a nonprofit that awards scholarships to
current and former Marines in the area, while serving as the group's president.
He also forged a $6,000 check, according to prosecutors.

Hitt pleaded guilty to one felony count each of embezzlement and forgery
as his preliminary hearing was about to get under way Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He initially did the same thing in March, but withdrew the guilty plea
two months later as his sentencing hearing was getting under way.

Hitt, who volunteered to be president of the group in 2009, was arrested
in Chino Hills on Oct. 6, 2011, at the Best Buy store where he worked.
Hitt wrote checks drawn on the scholarship fund's Citibank account to
his then-fiancee and co-mingled the funds with her business accounts, according to a declaration in support of arrest warrant. Eventually, Hitt started dating other women and spent the scholarship money on jewelry, school fees, hairstyle and rent for them.

Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At a meeting of the scholarship fund's board, Hitt "stole one of the
original USMS checks from the back of the USMS checkbook when (the board
member) left the room for a moment,'' the document stated.  "Hitt then forged
(the board member's) signature on the check and deposited it to the Citibank
account which he controlled.''

When the check did not clear, the bank began monitoring the account,
then closed it. But Hitt "continued to drain (it) ... to a negative status,''
according to the declaration.

A private investigator hired by Hitt's fiancee told the scholarship
board something fishy was going on, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Deputy District Attorney Brian Bolland said Charles and Terry Adrianson,
the couple who ran U.S. Marine Scholarships of the Desert Cities, were in the
courtroom to see Hitt sentenced.

"They are happy he's going to state prison where he belongs,'' Bolland
said.

He said Hitt has to pay $116,091 in restitution. He didn't know if the
fund was going to be re-started, but said there were people the Adriansons
wanted to award scholarships.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?