Бывший директор продовольственной столовки в Хемете признал вину в хищении товаров на сумму более 115 тысяч долларов

The former executive director of Valley Community Pantry, a longstanding nonprofit organization in Hemet, has pleaded guilty to embezzling property from the food pantry. Jim Lineberger, 65, served as executive director of Valley Community Pantry for about 15 years before retiring from the organization at the end of 2025. Lineberger came into possession of 12 pallets of donated Amazon goods in December 2025 and moved the donations into a personal CubeSmart storage unit in Hemet, according to a document describing reasons for an arrest warrant. When Valley Community Pantry requested in January that the donations, a collection of miscellaneous items estimated to be worth more than $115,000, be returned to the pantry, Lineberger stated the items were not in his possession, according to the arrest document. Hemet police discovered two pallets of the merchandise at Lineberger’s storage unit in February and returned that property to the pantry. During the investigation, the police learned that Lineberger sold one of the pallet donations to a pawn shop, according to the arrest document. The document also indicated that Lineberger requested a severance package in tandem with his retirement but that Valley Community Pantry denied the request. Lineberger pleaded guilty to the embezzlement charge on July 10, and the court reduced the felony charge to a misdemeanor. He received a sentence of one year of probation and 90 days in jail. When contacted by a reporter on Tuesday, Aug. 11, Lineberger declined to publicly comment on the case. Valley Community Pantry has been operating in Hemet since 1965, serving the San Jacinto Valley and surrounding areas. The organization offers emergency food and shelter services, focusing on supporting families in low-income brackets and those who are unemployed or underemployed, according to the organization’s website. The embezzlement case comes less than a year after Valley Community Pantry faced the possibility of closure when it received an eviction notice at its location at Trinity Lutheran Church in October 2025. At the time, the Hemet City Council voted to allow the food pantry to relocate to a space at the Simpson Center at 305 E. Devonshire Ave. so it could continue to operate. In November, Lineberger said he had given up a year’s salary to sustain the food pantry. Valley Community Pantry welcomed a new executive director in January and the food pantry continues to operate. “We are saddened and disappointed by the misconduct to which our former executive director pleaded guilty. Valley Community Pantry fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation and provided the requested information and assistance,” the board at Valley Community Pantry said in a statement via email. “Valley Community Pantry remains focused on protecting the organization’s integrity and resources while continuing our mission to serve individuals and families experiencing food insecurity in the San Jacinto Valley.” A hearing to determine victim restitution is scheduled for Nov. 6.