Employee gets 16 months for embezzling more than $300,000 from Newport Beach pharmacy

NEWPORT BEACH — A Fullerton man was sentenced Friday to 16 months for embezzling more than $305,000 from his Newport Beach employer over seven years.

Dennis Sam Medici, 58, was given credit for 440 days in custody, so he is expected to be released from jail soon. He was also ordered to pay $305,026.60 in restitution.

Medici pleaded guilty Oct. 17 to 53 felony counts of possessing a completed check with the intent to defraud, with sentencing enhancements for aggravated white-collar crime between $100,000 to $500,000. Medici accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge Karen Robinson, according to court records.

He wrote 361 checks to himself totaling $305,000 over seven years while he was the controller of the Horton & Converse Pharmacy, Newport Beach police investigator Emily Bledstein said in court papers.

He was also accused of voiding the checks to evade detection, Bledstein said.