Booking Photo Ginger Lee Mankins (DOB 11/30/1964)
Booking Photo Ginger Lee Mankins (DOB 11/30/1964)

Local Bookkeeper Ginger Mankins Arrested and Charged with Embezzling More than $5 Million from Local Businesses

Author: District Attorney
Date: 2/10/2020 11:47 AM

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that Ginger Lee Mankins (DOB 11/30/1964) has been arrested for suspicion of embezzling more than $5 million from two local agricultural businesses.

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that Ginger Lee Mankins (55) has been arrested on suspicion of embezzling more than $5 million from two local agricultural businesses.  After conducting a nine-month investigation, the District Attorney’s Office has filed a felony criminal complaint against Mrs. Mankins alleging she stole in excess of $5 million from two south county agricultural companies: Rick Machado Livestock and B&D Farms. The 14-count felony complaint alleges that Mrs. Mankins stole from Rick Machado Livestock between the dates of May 2007 and February 2018.  The complaint further alleges that the theft was not discovered by the company until March of 2018.  The complaint also alleges that Mrs. Mankins stole from B&D Farms between the dates of August 2012 and December 2019.  As to both companies, the complaint alleges that Mrs. Mankins exploited her position as a trusted bookkeeper to gain access to the money and to conceal her theft.

Mrs. Mankins has entered a plea of not guilty and is next scheduled in court for a hearing on February 14, 2020, in Department 1 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, Judge Jacquelyn Duffy presiding.    

Please note, a defendant in a criminal proceeding is presumed not guilty until the allegations have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations with the aid of the Arroyo Grande Police Department and is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Michael Frye of the District Attorney’s Major Fraud/Public Integrity Unit.

A copy of the complaint can be accessed here.  A copy of the defendant’s booking photo can be found here. 

Please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric J. Dobroth at 805.781.5819 with any questions.

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