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- Jason Christopher Puopolo pleaded not guilty to felony embezzlement and grand theft.
- Puopolo, the former West Sacramento parks superintendent, was arrested in April.
- He was arrested after an alleged unauthorized purchase was discovered.
Officials on Friday announced the April arrest of a former City of West Sacramento parks superintendent who now faces embezzlement and grand theft charges after an alleged unauthorized purchase was discovered.
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Jason Christopher Puopolo, the former West Sacramento parks operations superintendent, was released from custody after posting a $10,000 bail bond on April 20, Yolo Superior Court records show.
Puopolo pleaded not guilty April 22 to felony charges of embezzlement and grand theft. Court records showed the charges stemmed from an alleged incident on Feb. 20.
In a written statement posted Friday afternoon on social media, city officials said internal review practices identified an unauthorized purchase by a city staff member. The city reviewed the transaction, recovered the purchased item and “terminated the employee.”
A city spokesperson confirmed Puopolo was the former employee but declined to release further details about the alleged unauthorized purchase, including the amount of money involved or the item purchased.
City officials said they were working closely with law enforcement and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office.
“The city practices strict internal auditing and compliance protocols to ensure efficient and authorized use of all city funds,” West Sacramento city officials said in the written statement. “This was an isolated incident, and no other employees or officials were involved in this or found to have committed wrongdoing.”
Court records show Puopolo appeared July 30 for a hearing in his criminal case and is scheduled to return to court for a defense motion seeking enrollment in a California mental health diversion program.
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The diversion program could result in dismissal of Puopolo’s felony charges. If a judge granted the request, Puopolo would be ordered to undergo mental health treatment.
The court would schedule hearings to monitor his progress. If Puopolo “performs satisfactorily in diversion,” the judge would dismiss his charges, according to California law. Because Puopolo faced felony charges, he would have two years to complete the program.
In another Yolo County embezzlement case, former UC Davis Fire Chief Nathan Jon Trauernicht also sought admission to the mental health diversion program. A judge in November rejected Trauernicht’s request. He was accused of approving $42,000 in unearned overtime pay for his female assistant.
Trauernicht’s felony case remained pending, and his trial had not been scheduled. In January, his former UC Davis assistant pleaded no contest to a felony charge of misappropriating public money.
Puopolo had a base salary of $83,831 in 2024, and his total pay and benefits were $110,994, according to compensation records provided by the state to Transparent California. His 2025 compensation records were not available.
Puopolo’s base salary was $126,975 in 2023, and his total pay and benefits were $163,339. His base salary was $118,356 in 2022, and his total pay and benefits were $155,776.
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