CSU Long Beach employees charged for allegedly false timesheets

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged two CSU Long Beach employees for allegedly falsifying timesheets by including hundreds of hours of nonexistent work. 

"I am appalled at the brazen acts of criminality allegedly committed by employees of California State University, Long Beach, an institution that depends on public funding and public trust," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. 

Hochman's office said Oscar Perez Almanza and Hender Noe Maxwell conspired together to steal about $36,650 from the university in 2022. LA County prosecutors claim the pair agreed to split the money once CSULB paid Maxwell. 

Both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit grand theft and grant theft. Almanza and Maxwell pleaded not guilty on Monday. They were released on their own recognizance with the condition that they surrender their passports. If convicted, they face three years in county jail. 

"Stealing from California's venerated public university system steals from taxpayers and the thousands of students who rely on the university for affordable tuition and educational and career opportunities," Hochman said. 

Prosecutors said Maxwell worked as a grounds worker for the university's athletics department before leaving the university in 2022. Despite knowing that Maxwell no longer worked for the athletics department, Almanza, a field supervisor, continued to certify Maxwell's hours, according to investigators.