Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 11/19/2009

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Terry Menshek (707) 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Diana Gomez

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

LONGTIME EMPLOYEE ADMITS
EMBEZZLING FROM PETALUMA COMPANY

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that on September 14, 2009, Ryan Sawyer Merman, age 69, of Santa Rosa, entered pleas of no contest to six felony charges of embezzlement, elder fraud, and forgery. He also admitted the truth of a special allegation alleging that the total amount of loss resulting from his criminal activity exceeded $150,000. Mr. Merman faces a sentence of six years in prison. Mr. Merman’s pleas were entered pursuant to plea negotiations with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Officer wherein he was offered a stipulated prison term of six years if $300,000 of the money he embezzled was returned to the victim by the time of sentencing.

The charges in this case arose out of an investigation which began when a Petaluma company, STX, Inc., discovered a number of unauthorized checks had been written to Mr. Merman, who was in charge of the company finances. Further investigation revealed that Mr. Merman had been systematically embezzling funds from the victim, an elder adult, and his company since March of 2002.

Sentencing will take place on December 1, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in Department 9. Mr. Merman was remanded into custody on September 14, 2009, pending sentencing.

Petaluma Police Officer Patrick Gerke was the investigating officer who spearheaded the investigation in this matter and Deputy District Attorney Robin Hammond is handling the prosecution.