A former Farmersville police sergeant has been accused of embezzling funds from the Farmersville Police Department’s discovery program and the Farmersville Police Officer’s Association.
Rafael “Ralph” Vasquez, Jr., 51, who served both organizations as an advisor and treasurer, allegedly received approximately $35,000 between 2018 and 2023 using digital transfers to his personal account, according to investigators.
Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward announced in a news release that two counts of grand theft by embezzlement and two counts of grand larceny were filed against Vasquez on Dec. 9.
Vasquez surrendered himself to district attorney investigators on Nov. 11 and was booked into the Tulare County Pretrial Facility. He was subsequently released on $60,000 bail, court records show.
The investigation began in August 2023 when Farmersville Police Chief Jay Brock contacted the district attorney’s office with his suspicions. The Office Bureau of Investigations Forensic Fraud Unit began interviewing current and former city employees and executed several search warrants for bank statements, digital images and videos.
Because this is an active investigation, DA officials and Farmersville police declined to comment.
An internet search shows that Rafael Vasquez-Perez, Jr. is involved in charities. According to his LinkedIn page, he was a Road to Recovery volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society.
“On my days off, I drive cancer patients to and from their homes to their appointments,” he wrote.
He was also involved with the Pink Patch Project, which raises money for breast cancer research and to raise awareness of the benefits of early detection and intervention. In addition to being active as a police sergeant, an article dated July 18, 2019 in the Visalia Times-Delta credits him with inspiring the Exeter Police Department to also participate in the project.
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“Everyone has been affected by cancer,” Vasquez said in the article. “The public admires the pink spots. We receive many compliments, especially from women who come to thank us.”
The website transparentcalifornia.com lists him as having the sixth-highest salary among government employees in Farmersville in 2022, with total salary and benefits totaling $165,019.42.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Former Farmersville police sergeant charged with embezzlement
