WOODLAND — The former executive director of Yolo County Court Appointed Special Advocates left the Yolo County Courthouse in handcuffs Wednesday morning after pleading no contest to felony charges of forgery and misappropriation of public funds.

Claudean Sue Medlock, 54, was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison, nine months after CASA officials learned she had embezzled more than $46,000 from the nonprofit agency that serves abused and at-risk children.

“This has been a long road, and we’re happy that justice has been served and we can close this chapter,” Mila Spengler, president of CASA’s board of directors, said in response to Medlock’s plea. “We’re very happy to return our focus to serving the foster youth of Yolo County.”

In addition to the prison time, Medlock was ordered by Judge Timothy Fall to pay restitution of $46,568.01.

Among the charges Medlock admitted to was an allegation that she forged the name of Yolo Superior Court Judge Steven Basha on a 2009 memorandum of understanding document between CASA and the court. The charge was added during today’s hearing.

Deputy District Attorney Michelle Serafin said the document was then sent to CASA’s national headquarters in exchange for public grant money. It was unclear why Medlock forged the signature, Serafin said.

Medlock also admitted to two counts of forgery and one count of misappropriation of public funds. Fourteen other charges were dismissed in exchange for the plea.

Supervising Deputy Public Defender Monica Brushia, Medlock’s attorney, has said her client embezzled the money to satisfy a gambling addiction brought on by depression and anxiety over her parents’ deaths. She reportedly forged CASA board members’ signatures on checks and used a work-issued credit card to obtain cash advances at area casinos.

“I’m glad for my client that it’s over,” Brushia said. Medlock’s willingness to admit to the four charges, Brushia added, hinged upon additional legal action that was pending in Placer County.

According to Serafin, Medlock had faced as many as 22 forgery counts in Placer County for her unauthorized use of the CASA credit card while visiting the Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln. The district attorney in that county reportedly agreed to drop the case in light of Medlock’s no-contest plea here.

Wednesday marked Medlock’s second plea agreement in the embezzlement case.

An earlier settlement that granted Medlock felony probation instead of prison time was overturned after prosecutors learned Medlock was already on felony probation for embezzling about $13,000 from the California Musical Theatre Company in Sacramento while employed as its director of development.

CASA officials said they were unaware of Medlock’s criminal history because she was not charged until after CASA hired her in July 2009, and because Medlock left the CMTC job off her résumé.

— Reach Lauren Keene at [email protected] or (530) 747-8048. Follow her at www.twitter.com/laurenkeene

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