San Benito County Free Library
Outcome
Former supervising librarian Erin Baxter and library staffer Mary Alvarez were convicted of embezzling approximately $360,755 by altering Amazon invoices in Adobe Pro before submitting them for reimbursement from county funds; Baxter sentenced to 364 days in county jail and Alvarez to 60 days, both with restitution and probation.
Details
San Benito County Free Library — Supervising Librarian and Staffer Embezzle $360,755 Via Altered Invoices (2019–2023)
Outcome: Former supervising librarian Erin Baxter was convicted on three felony counts — embezzlement, forgery, and conspiracy — and sentenced to 364 days in county jail with $332,070 restitution ordered; co-conspirator Mary Alvarez was convicted and sentenced to 60 days in county jail and one year of probation for their roles in a four-year scheme to embezzle $360,755 from the San Benito County Free Library.
The San Benito County Free Library serves Hollister and surrounding communities in San Benito County, California. Erin Baxter served as the library's supervising librarian and, with fellow staffer Mary Alvarez, executed a scheme to embezzle library funds beginning as early as December 2019 and continuing through March 2023.
The scheme involved altering Amazon invoices using Adobe Acrobat Pro before submitting them to the San Benito County Auditor's Office for payment. Baxter and Alvarez would make legitimate purchases through the library's Amazon account, then modify the invoice amounts, descriptions, or both before the invoices were submitted for county payment. The fraudulently submitted payment requests were processed and paid out of the county auditor's office, with the defendants pocketing the difference or receiving goods that were not authorized library purchases.
Items purchased with library funds and recovered at Baxter's home included expensive camping equipment, electronics, and other personal goods. The San Benito County Sheriff's Department initiated a criminal investigation in May 2023 after a complaint was filed; the FBI subsequently assisted with the investigation.
Baxter pleaded guilty in March 2024 and was sentenced by Judge Patrick Palacios to 4–364 days in county jail (with a suspended two-year state prison sentence), two years of probation, and $332,070 in restitution. Alvarez was sentenced on September 9, 2024, to 60 days in county jail and one year of probation. The county subsequently approved a full audit by the State Controller's Office following the scandal.
Primary Source: BenitoLink — Former Library Staffer Sentenced to County Jail
How Crucible Prevents This
Purchase order verification requiring the delivery receipt and original vendor invoice to match the payment request before approval would have caught the altered Amazon invoices. Automated vendor invoice integrity controls checking that invoice format, metadata, and amounts match original vendor-generated documents would have flagged the Adobe-edited files. Requiring that all purchases above a threshold go through a competitive bidding or formal purchase order process — rather than informal credit card or reimbursement workflows — would have reduced the opportunity to submit altered invoices. Physical verification of delivered goods (particularly high-value electronics and camping equipment) against submitted invoices would have surfaced the scheme. The district attorney noted the scheme succeeded due to "loss of internal controls and inadequate supervision."
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