On Friday Sharon Pearl, the California State Bar’s former director of real property operations, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after the judge found that she used stolen money to live a “very comfortable lifestyle well above her means”. The judge also ordered restitution of about $615,000, plus payback of $167,000 for audit, internal investigation and outside counsel costs and $117,000 for the Franchise Tax Board. Pearl has paid back $393,000 so far by selling her home for $180,000 and receiving $200,000 from family members.
The prosecution pushed for a four year sentence while Pearl’s lawyers wanted 16 months. Pearl pleaded no contest in December to one count of embezzlement and 6 counts of tax evasion. The embezzlement was discovered last year after she worked with the State Bar for 8 years. The Bar also has a civil suit pending against Pearl.
