Former Merced County Deputy Sheriff’s Association president sentenced for embezzlement

A former Merced County Deputy Sheriff’s Association president has been sentenced on felony embezzlement charges after he was convicted on all counts by a jury in December 2024, the Merced County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Merced County Superior Court Judge Steven Slocum sentenced the former association president Phillip Brooks, to a total of 190 days in jail and to pay $71,150.40 in restitution to the Merced County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The district attorney’s office said the judge also ordered a restitution fine of $142,300.80. Brooks was convicted of three felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement as well as a crime enhancement for the theft which totaled more than $100,000 by a jury in December 2024.

Officials said Brooks was sentenced to a two-year grant of probation, which can be extended up to 10 years if the restitution is not paid in full. If Brooks is found to be in violation of the terms of his probation, he could be sentenced to two years in state prison.

A warrant for Brooks’ arrest was filed March 18, 2019 with a bail of $75,000, after he was accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the department union. Brooks was eventually located and arrested in Kingman, Arizona in February 2020.

“The actions taken by the defendant against his own fellow law enforcement officers were very serious,” said Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira in a news release. Silveira went on to say “fraud perpetrated by people in positions of trust should never be tolerated.”

Officials said the case was prosecuted by Merced County Deputy District Attorney Ryan Heller.