A former Contra Costa Fire Protection District battalion chief has been convicted of felony grand theft for doctoring his timekeeping records, the District Attorney’s Office said this week.

Louis Manzo Jr., 58, was convicted after admitting to misappropriating county funds and taking a plea deal, prosecutors said.

Manzo, who is from Danville, was originally charged in 2019 with misappropriating funds between 2014 and 2019. Prosecutors said he falsified information on timekeeping records and paid time off requests and then redirected the public funds for his own private use. Prosecutors estimate he stole more than $46,000 in fraudulent salary payments.

Manzo pleaded no contest to one count of felony grant theft. He will spend 30 days in the sheriff’s work alternative program and one year on probation. He must also complete 30 hours of community service and pay restitution fines. Manzo can have no contact with any Con Fire employees and he must stay away from all Con Fire locations. He is also subject to searches and seizures of records and other materials related to his finances.

Prosecutors also say his plea will affect his county pension.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.