Arrest of AngelAnn Flores, Stockton Unified school board trustee: Here's what we know
New details about the arrest of Stockton Unified trustee AngelAnn Flores on allegations of theft and embezzlement emerged in documents filed at San Joaquin County Superior Court Friday.
Deputies arrested the trustee at 3:20 p.m. Friday during a traffic stop near West Lane and Alpine Avenue, in central Stockton, Andres Lopez — a spokesman for the sheriff's office — said.
A warrant for Flores' arrest was signed Friday by Judge Richard Mallett, according to a copy filed in court.
A criminal complaint filed alongside the warrant shows District Attorney Ron Freitas charged Flores with felony counts of making false claims; misappropriation of funds; and grand theft of school funds exceeding $950.
A school board member since 2018, Flores most recently campaigned on promises to bring accountability to a district dogged for years by grand jury and auditor findings of mismanagement and possible fraud.
In February 2021, Flores cast the sole vote against a $7.3 million contract which, though never fully completed, was the focus of an investigation by state auditors which found evidence that fraud likely occurred. Three trustees who voted in favor of the deal remain on the school board.
In April 2023, Freitas pledged to crack down on wrongdoing at Stockton Unified, in cooperation with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. In the year since, Freitas has released no details about the progress of the probe.
Flores is represented by attorney Mark Bowman and former San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar, the former DA confirmed by phone Friday.
"Make no mistake, Angelann Flores is the victim of political retaliation," the attorneys said in an emailed statement.
The investigation into Flores first surfaced publicly in November, when sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant, also signed by Judge Mallett, at the board member's home.
A copy of the warrant — obtained by The Record in the aftermath — showed the investigation began when former Stockton Unified Interim Superintendent Traci Miller and current Chief Business Official Joann Juarez reported Flores to the Sheriff's Office in April.
Juarez claimed Flores and other trustees may have misused a credit card the district had issued them for work expenses.
In a statement Friday, the sheriff's office said investigators believe Flores improperly spent over $1,000 on fuel.
"Credit card usage by other trustees was in substantial compliance with SUSD policy and approved usage," the sheriff's office stated Friday.
No evidence has yet been presented against Flores. She has been booked into San Joaquin County Jail, jail staff confirmed. Bail is set at $175,000.
Flores is expected to appear in court early next week.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton Unified's Flores arrested; details emerge in court filings