Embezzling Charges Dropped

Charges of embezzling more than $1 million against a former bookkeeper at the Los Angeles campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion have been dismissed by the judge in the case.

Jean M. Thorbourn, 63, was arrested a year ago and accused of forging checks to embezzle $1.18 million from HUC between 1989 and 1997.

She also doubled as the campus fiscal administrator and had considerable latitude in her job.

Thorbourn admitted using a large share of the money to make a film titled "Jamaica Beat," and was also accused of spending other sums to make credit card, mortgage and loan payments, as well as filing false state income tax returns.

Her defense attorney, Mark Geragos, did not contest the charges. However, Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry ruled that the case could not proceed because the grand jury that indicted Thorbourn was unaware of a key point of information, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The information, which became known only in recent months, dealt with the testimony of a former HUC secretary, Karen Franklin. She said that as early as 1992, she had told top college officials that Thorbourn was misusing college funds. A few days later, the secretary was fired.

Geragos argued successfully that since college administrators were aware how the money was being used, and chose not to act on the information, his client was free of any criminal responsibility.

The newly named HUC president, Rabbi David Ellenson, declined comment and referred The Journal to a statement issued by the college’s New York office.

In the statement, HUC said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the dismissal of charges against Thorbourn.

Citing "senior officials" at HUC, the statement said that they had learned only recently of Franklin’s alleged 1992 disclosure and were now investigating the matter.

The officials claim that they first learned of "problems in the accounting department" in 1997, and immediately launched an investigation and notified law enforcement authorities.

As one result of the case, HUC has "consolidated its accounting functions (for its campuses in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles and New York) at its main office in Cincinnati, and strengthened its accounting systems and controls," the statement noted.

Citing pending legal action, HUC said it could not comment further at this time.

Prosecutors said they are considering whether to file new charges against Thorbourn or to appeal the judge’s decision.