Former Solano County CHP officer sentenced to jail for embezzlement

A former Solano County-area California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail in connection with a felony embezzlement and theft case dating back to 2018.

Todd Curtis Smith, 50, will have to serve three months in Solano County Jail, starting in November, according to the Vacaville Reporter newspaper. He will also have to pay a $600 fine and is banned from having contact with two other individuals who have been charged in the case.

Smith participated in a scheme that saw several car-related items stolen from the CHP and used to modify personal vehicles that belonged to him and other individuals. A co-defendant in the case reportedly told police investigators that he, Smith and another man used the parts to "save money" while operating a car resale business on the side.

Thomas Carpenter, 52, was arrested by police in November 2018 on accusations of receiving stolen property. He entered a guilty plea last year, though his sentence was unclear.

The third co-defendant in the case, 41-year-old Nicholas Bonachea, is scheduled to appear at a readiness conference later this month.