SANTA ANA, Calif. – A parole agent was arrested yesterday on charges of exchanging embezzled California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) funds for narcotics prescribed to a parolee. Scott Patric Keblis, 49, Chino, is charged with one felony count of embezzlement by a public employee and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance. If convicted on all counts, Keblis faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison and one year in county jail, and would be ineligible to ever hold any office of honor, trust, or profit in California. Keblis was released from custody today after posting $20,000 bond. The defendant's court date is to be determined.

At the time of the crime, Keblis was employed as a CDCR parole agent.

On Nov. 5, 2015, the CDCR received an anonymous report that Keblis was providing out of state bus passes in exchange for narcotics a parolee was prescribed.

On Nov. 23, 2015, the defendant is accused of obtaining two bus passes and two $40 Target gift cards from the CDCR, claiming he needed to give them to a parolee under his supervision. Later that day, Keblis is accused of driving to Huntington Beach to meet with a different parolee, who was not under Keblis' supervision, in his state vehicle. Keblis is accused of exchanging the bus passes, gift cards, and $30 of his personal money for 26 of the parolee's prescription hydrocodone pills.

On July 27, 2016, Keblis was arrested by CDCR Internal Affairs, who investigated this case.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brock Zimmon of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case.

Orange County District Attorney / Case #16CF1898 / July 28, 2016