June 30, 2009
Bradford R. Fenocchio
District Attorney
PLACER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
10810 Justice Center Drive, Suite 240
Roseville, California 95678
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Date: June 30, 2009
Contact:
Art Campos
Public Information Officer
916-543-8076
Scott Owens
Acting Assistant District Attorney
916-543-8000
MAN GETS 10 YEARS, FOUR MONTHS FOR POSING AS SUREWEST EMPLOYEE
A Roseville man who spent six months impersonating employees of SureWest Communications, driving a company car and using a stolen SureWest credit card has been sent to state prison for 10 years and four months.
Preston Douglas Vandeburgh, 27, who pleaded guilty last month to five felony charges, was given the sentence today by Placer County Superior Court Judge Robert P. McElhany.
The charges include burglary, identity theft, unlawful taking of a vehicle, computer fraud and possession of credit card information with a prior conviction for identity theft.
In addition, Vandeburgh admitted to enhancements of having a previous strike for burglary and of having served a prior prison sentence.
“Since he pled to a strike, Mr. Vandeburgh will have to serve 80% of his 10-year term, meaning he will serve a little over eight years in prison,” Deputy District Attorney Rick Opich said.
Vandeburgh broke into SureWest offices in June 2008, taking equipment and confidential information belonging to employees. Using phony identification, the defendant occasionally came onto the SureWest campus, posing as an employee, Opich said.
The scheme ended in December when SureWest officials detected someone using one of their computers, which had been stolen, at an address in the city. Police went to the home, found numerous SureWest items taken in a burglary at the company offices and arrested Vandeburgh, Opich said.