Former SLO County employee accused of stealing $250,000 pleads no contest, faces prison time

The former San Luis Obispo County employee accused of using at least $250,000 of county funds to buy himself DJ equipment, camera gear and other items pleaded no contest to seven counts of embezzlement last week and will face time in prison.

Norman Hibble, 54, was arrested and charged with 12 counts of embezzlement on Feb. 20 for allegedly misusing a county-issued credit card while he worked in the county’s technology department from April 2017 and January 2023.

He was fired from his county job on Jan. 5.

He pleaded no contest to seven embezzlement counts on July 17, and also admitted the sentencing enhancement of the amount stolen being more than $100,000.

A no contest plea functions the same as a guilty plea without admitting direct fault.

He agreed to a total of six years in state prison, court records show. He received three years for the first embezzlement count, two years for a second embezzlement count and an additional one year for the sentencing enhancement.

The five other embezzlement counts carry three-year concurrent sentences, meaning they will be served at the same time as the sentence for the first count.

The maximum prison time Hibble faced was 16 years in state prison.

His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 21.

County employee used credit card to buy DJ equipment, electric scooter, DA says

In a court hearing on Feb. 23, Deputy District Attorney Ben Blumenthal said Hibble bought high-end DJ equipment , photo gear, a $2,000 crossbow and several other items using the county-issued credit card.

“I wish it was hyperbole to say he needed C-trains to store all of the items,” Blumenthal said during the hearing, adding that Hibble did in fact buy the large storage container to store his purchases.

Hibble is also alleged to have used the county card to buy an electric scooter that he then sued a driver for damaging, the District Attorney’s Office told The Tribune.

On Feb. 2, 2021, Blumenthal said in a Feb. 28 court hearing, Hibble’s colleagues in the county health agency were responding to the peak of the COVID-19 crisis while Hibble allegedly used the county credit card to order a Blackmagic Design Davinci mini panel, a video editing system that cost more than $3,300.

On the invoice he turned into the county, Hibble said he bought a printer from Blackmagic Design, Blumenthal said.

As of Feb. 28, the total stolen by Hibble was alleged to total at least $250,000, but the District Attorney’s Office was still calculating the total amount.

The agency did not immediately respond to request for comment on the total amount stolen by Hibble.