A Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District captain pleaded not guilty Friday morning in Sonoma County Superior Court to stealing $63,000 from the firefighters' association.
Michael Scott Bechtold, also the district's fire marshal, is accused of forging the associations' checks between 2006 and last month, Chief Deputy District Attorney Bill Brockley said.
Bechtold, 39, of Rohnert Park, is accused of spending the money on San Jose Sharks season tickets and a trip to Disneyland, according to sheriff's Sgt. Michael Raasch. Bechtold reportedly admitted the thefts when he was arrested on Oct. 26, Raasch said.
Find out what's happening in Petalumawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Bechtold's next appearance in court is Nov. 14 for a possible settlement of the case. The district attorney's office has made a "decent" settlement offer to Bechtold, Assistant Public Defender Kathleen Pozzi said.
Deputy District Attorney Amy Ariyoshi said Bechtold faces 3 years and 8 months in prison if convicted of all grand theft counts but is eligible to serve his time in county jail because it is a non-violent crime.
Find out what's happening in Petalumawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Bechtold also is charged with violating his probation for a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction in 2009.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
