The Atascadero police department received a report from the owner of Scott O’Brien Fire & Safety in May of 2024, alleging that one of the company’s employees may be involved in a case of embezzlement.
A recent release by the city of Atascadero says that detectives investigated discovered the company’s chief operating officer, Robert Vasquez, had embezzled nearly 425 thousand dollars from the business for nearly five years, between January 2019 and October 2023.
Detectives allege the 37-year-old Paso Robles resident used company funds for personal expenses, including rent payments, cash withdraws, and paying his personal credit card bills.
He was arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo county jail on December 19th, with bail set to 20 thousand dollars.
