Woman pleads not guilty to fund theft

A Grass Valley woman accused of taking money from the memorial fund of her former brother-in-law Robby Johnston, a Penn Valley car accident victim, has been accused of the same offense before, according to court records.

Laura Mostajo is charged with felony grand theft and accused of taking money from a memorial fund she set up for Johnston as a favor to his family.

Johnston was killed Jan. 5 in a car accident on Highway 20 with his fiancée, Trula Middleton.

Mostajo told investigators in February she used about $2,500 from Johnston's memorial account to pay her rent, Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal said.

Previous loan not repaid

County Superior Court records show Mostajo was recently taken to small claims court in a similar matter.

A Nevada City man filed a complaint with the court on Dec. 26, 2007, claiming he loaned Mostajo $500 so she and her two children could move into a residence.

The money was supposed to be re-paid within a week, but Mostajo stopped returning the man's phone calls and refused to pay, according to court records.

Visiting Judge Charles Compton ruled in favor of the man March 19, and ordered Mostajo to pay back the loan plus court fees, $545.

Robby Johnston's stepfather, Lance Smith, said Mostajo stopped returning his phone calls in February after he discovered he could not access the memorial fund Mostajo set up at Citizen's Bank in Grass Valley.

That's when he went to the sheriff's office, he said.

Mostajo pleaded not guilty to the grand theft charge April 17 and is set for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. May 20 in Superior Court.

To contact Staff Writer Robyn Moormeister, e-mail rmoormeister@theunion.com or call 477-4236.