Robert Vasquez sentenced to over four years for embezzling money from Atascadero company

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Robert Conrad Vasquez of Paso Robles was sentenced to four years and four months in state prison after his conviction on five felony counts of grand theft from an Atascadero company.

From February 2019 through September 2023, Vasquez stole money from Scott O'Brien Fire and Safety in Atascadero where he was employed as the company's Chief Financial Officer to pay his rent and pay down his personal credit card debt stated the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.

The company estimated the direct financial loss it had suffered during Vasquez's sentencing between $400,000 and $600,000 after Vasquez had entered a plea of no contest to his five felony counts of grand theft and one misdemeanor violation of possessing an assault weapon on February 2, 2026, noted the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.

According to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office, at the time of the February plea, their office had agreed to seek no more than six year in state prison and during Vasquez's sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Blumenthal argued that the defendant's conduct supported the six-year sentencing.

Judge Michael Frye instead imposed the sentence of four years and four months after hearing from both the prosecutor and defense counsel as well as a victim impact statement shared the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.

The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office added that Judge Frye ordered Vasquez remanded into the custody of the Sheriff's Office to begin serving his sentence.

Vasquez is next due in court for a restitution status determination on June 24 of this year.

"Today's sentence in the Robert Conrad Vasquez case sends a clear message: when a trusted employee steals from a local small business, it is not just a crime on the books, it is a profound betrayal that threatens the jobs and stability that business provides to our community," shared District Attorney Dan Dow. "Embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Scott O'Brien Fire and Safety didn't just hurt one owner—it undermined a small business that protects lives and employs local families, and that kind of conduct drags down our local economy. In our criminal and victim justice system, we will continue to stand with small business owners, hold white-collar offenders accountable, and fight to ensure that those who abuse positions of trust face serious consequences."