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A former California Highway Patrol auto technician who initially was accused, along with an ex-CHP officer and another auto technician, of felony embezzlement and auto parts thefts from late 2016 to mid-2018, pleaded no contest last month in Solano County Superior Court and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, The Reporter has learned.
Hearing on Oct. 18 a no-contest plea from Nicholas R. Bonachea, 41, Judge Jeffrey C. Kauffman also also ordered him to pay $3,600 in restitution and have no contact with the two other men linked to the case.
During the proceeding in Department 1 in the Justice Center in Fairfield, Bonachea waived his rights to a trial and did not contest charges of grand theft and embezzlement by someone associated by contract with a state agency. By entering a no-contest plea, he did not admit guilt but stated, essentially, that he would offer no defense.
Judge Kauffman immediately found him guilty and sentenced him to two years in county jail but suspended that sentence and ordered Bonachea to serve the three-month sentence with an expected release date of Jan. 17, official court records show.
The judge also ordered him to have “no knowing contact” with Thomas Jerome Carpenter, 53, the auto mechanic, or Todd Curtis Smith, 50, the former CHP officer, both of whom pleaded and were sentenced earlier in the case.
Kauffman also granted permission to Bonachea, upon release, to live in Idaho as long as he observes the terms and conditions of his probation.
His plea and sentencing came about two weeks before he was to scheduled for a new trial date. He was represented by Alternate Public Defender Michi Yamamoto but earlier in the case he was represented by Fairfield criminal defense attorney Vincent Maher.
Court records show Smith waived his rights during a June 21 court appearance and pleaded to one count of grand theft. He was represented by Vallejo-based criminal defense attorney Daniel J. Russo.
In addition, Kauffman ordered Smith to pay $600 in fines and have “no knowing contact” with Bonachea and Carpenter.
Court records indicate that Smith was arrested Nov. 30, 2018, by a fellow officer at the CHP Golden Gate Division offices on Benicia Road in Vallejo. Shortly after being booked into Solano County Jail, he posted $35,000 bail on the charge, felony embezzlement/grand theft exceeding $950.
Bonachea was arrested the same day on suspicion of felony embezzlement exceeding $950. After being booked into jail, he posted a $35,000 bond on Dec. 4.
Carpenter was arrested on Nov. 30 on charges of receiving stolen property, auto parts, among other things. After being booked into jail, he also posted a $35,000 bond on Dec. 4.
The three were arraigned on the charges Dec. 31 in Department 17 in the Hall of Justice in Fairfield. Each pleaded not guilty.
In the ensuing months, however, Carpenter, charged with two counts of receiving stolen property, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Aug. 17 last year. However, publicly available court records do not indicate exactly what punishment Kauffman imposed. Before he pleaded, he faced the possibility of a maximum of five years in prison, plus fines.
Carpenter was originally charged with receiving stolen property exceeding $950 (auto parts, a hand controller, and a CHP medical bag), and his probation term was transferred to his current county of residence, which, according to court records, is Butte County.
A search of court records showed that the case against him was closed on Nov. 30, 2020, and there was no other information in the court’s document management system.
Deputy District Attorney William J. Moser led the prosecution during its early phases, but Deputy District Attorney Joseph Miller was in court when Bonachea entered his plea.
Originally published at Richard Bammer