A former San Luis Obispo County employee has been arrested and charged with stealing money from the county.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday announced that Norman Hibble, 54, faces 12 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds.
Authorities say the theft occurred over a period of seven years and was discovered by staff of the Office of the Auditor-Controller who noticed purchasing irregularities.
Hibble reportedly worked in the county's IT department and is accused of using a county credit card to purchase more than $100,000 worth of personal items between April 2017 and October 2023.
According to county officials, Hibble worked for the county for 16 years.
In November 2023, investigators served search warrants at his home and office. He was reportedly placed on leave at that time and was fired from his job on January 5.
Hibble is expected to be arraigned on Friday. If convicted of all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in state prison.
