Former nonprofit treasurer faces embezzlement charge

An Oct. 18 preliminary hearing date has been set for the former treasurer of the Carson Valley Active 20-30 Club who is accused of embezzling $40,000 from the club’s account.

Eric Oliver Jacobs, 26, appeared in East Fork Justice Court on Wednesday morning without an attorney. He’d told a judge on Oct. 4 that he planned to hire one, but told Justice of the Peace Paul Gilbert that he hadn’t tried to do so.

Gilbert entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and ordered an attorney be appointed to represent Jacobs.

Jacobs said he understood what he was being charged with and didn’t waive having a preliminary hearing within 15 days of his arrest.

He is scheduled to return to court with an attorney on Oct. 16 to determine whether the preliminary hearing will occur. The hearing would determine if a crime had been committed and whether there was sufficient evidence that Jacobs committed it. If Jacobs is bound over, he would appear in district court where he could seek a trial on the charges.

He is being held in lieu of $10,000 cash or bondable bail.

• A former juvenile probation officer is facing three misdemeanor theft counts for using his county issued gas card to put $127.88 in his personal vehicle.

Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jesse Michael Chulay on a warrant issued out the East Fork Township Justice Court.

The criminal complaint alleges that Chulay used the gas card, which was provided solely for fueling certain assigned county vehicles, to fuel his own personal vehicle and that Chulay did not pay for the fuel he took at the county’s expense.

According to the affidavit in support of the arrest warrant, Chulay used county funds to fuel his personal vehicle with 13.85 gallons of fuel on Jan. 30, 2023; 13.25 gallons of fuel on Feb. 24, 2023; and 8 gallons of fuel on Dec. 11, 2023. The total loss to the county is $127.88. Chulay, 37, lives in Zephyr Cove and is no longer employed by Douglas County. Chulay was released on bond, and his arraignment is scheduled to take place in the East Fork Justice Court on Monday.