While Julio Velazquez, having posted bail, waits for his Thursday court date, Sacramento State is conducting an investigation of the missing $18,125 from Associated Students Inc. funds.

Campus police and Student Affairs both investigate all allegations of criminal misconduct. While the police handle the criminal aspect, Student Affairs conducts a separate, judicial investigation, said Lori Varlotta, vice president of Student Affairs.

“We take great pride in the fact that the investigation is thorough and serious,” Varlotta said. She said there is currently an investigation of the missing ASI funds, but cannot legally say who is being investigated.

Varlotta said she also wants to ensure that anyone under investigation gets due process. She said the fairest way is not to give out information until the investigation is over.

Student Affairs does not directly oversee ASI funds, but Varlotta is the formal liaison. President Alexander Gonzalez has direct oversight of ASI and all other Sac State auxiliaries, Varlotta said. “The university takes very seriously its fiscal oversight.”

“This year’s ASI student leadership has been very cooperative, as well as the ASI professional staff,” Varlotta said. “One example of cooperation is that they increased internal controls and systems on student funds. They did that on their own.”

The results of judicial investigations can range from a verbal warning to expulsion from the California State University system. Varlotta said Student Affairs will not go lightly on disciplinary action if the allegations are true. She also said that typically, when money is concerned, restitution is included in the sanctions.

“This current ASI board is doing everything in its power that is possible to prevent anything like this from ever happening again,” said Robbie Abelon, ASI executive vice president.

The missing funds were discovered when the university conducted a standard audit, Abelon said.

The first out of 16 felony counts charges Velazquez with fraudulently obtaining $18,125.

Click here to see the 16 felony counts from court documents.

Velazquez was also charged with several counts of forgery, according to court documents. ASI check request forms were altered or forged with false names.

The checks were then passed at the First Bank of California on the ASI account. There were checks for $1,500, $950, $750 and $50, according to court documents.

Abelon said he was shocked when he heard Velazquez had been charged. They never served together, as Abelon replaced James Shelby II about a month after he and Velazquez resigned.

Peter Ucovich was ASI president in 2003-04 when Velazquez served as executive vice president. “From my perspective, he was a good board member and did his job well,” Ucovich said.

Ucovich said ASI has internal checks and balances and that while $18,125 is a lot of money, it’s still only about 0.2 percent of the total budget.

“It’s important to know that ASI does a good job using funds on behalf of the students,” Ucovich said. “It’s the second largest employer of current (Sac State) students. It’s a good organization, and it’s unfortunate that the current situation is happening.”

Graham Taft, a Sac State senior studying mechanical engineering, said he had heard rumors of “questionable stuff going on” in ASI. When he read about Velazquez, he assumed that was what he had heard about. “Unfortunately I wasn’t really surprised,” Taft said.

Susan Pickowsky-Tatar, a project coordinator for university media services, said she wished she had followed the student government at Sac State when she was a student in the ’80s. “It’s good for all of us to get involved in government,” she said.

Abelon also said Velazquez was involved in the competitive Senate Fellows program through the Center for California Studies. During the fellowship, Velazquez worked for Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, and had been elected chairman of the California State Student Association ?” the student government for student governments ?” while serving in ASI.

Brandon Darnell can be reached at [email protected]