Second defendant in embezzlement case sentenced to three years

BARSTOW — A codefendant in the Barstow Truck Parts embezzlement case made an emotional apology to the courtroom and the victims Monday, promising to pay back the money his wife was convicted of taking.

Wesley Jaska, whose wife Joyce Jaska was sentenced to 12 years in prison for embezzling more than $150,000 from Barstow Truck Parts, received a three-year prison sentence for his own part in the case.

“If I knew what was going on, I could have stopped it, but I didn’t,” Wesley told the court. “I followed her — I just did what she said. It’s now my responsibility to make this right, to be in charge of what was wrong here.”

Judge John Gibson also ordered Wesley to pay about $28,630 in reimbursements to the county for attorney’s fees, booking charges, probation report preparation, state victim restitution fund and parole supervision payments.

Unlike Joyce, Wesley was not charged with theft in the case but was accused of filing false tax returns and amended tax returns from the years 1999, 2000 and 2001. He was convicted on three counts of perjury and three felony counts of willfully filing a false tax return for the amended returns, as well as three misdemeanor counts of filing a false tax return for the original returns.

Wesley told the court that he was ashamed of his own part, which included turning a blind eye to Joyce’s actions. Although he was not charged with theft, he said he now feels responsible for paying the money back.

The case began with a police investigation in 2002, after Joyce was terminated from her position as secretary and treasurer at Barstow Truck Parts, which is owned by her cousin, Jim Rajacich.

After the sentencing on Monday, Barstow Truck Parts secretary and treasurer James Rajacich, Jr., said he thought the sentence was just and believed that Wesley’s apology was sincere.

“One thing we’ve learned about Wesley is that he has a conscience,” he said. “... I think we kind of knew he’s been remorseful this whole time.”
Still, although Wesley may not have been complicit in the embezzlement, Rajacich said he should have questioned where Joyce was getting the extra money to enable them to live a more-than-comfortable lifestyle.

Deputy district attorney Rick Golden argued that Wesley had, in fact, been aware of the theft and should not get off with probation.
“I think Wesley was too deeply involved in it, for too long a period,” he said.

Wesley’s defense attorney Ben Echols argued that Wesley was manipulated by Joyce and did not realize that his wife was embezzling money until it was too late. Echols said that  while Wesley maintained his innocence at the outset, he came to feel responsible for his own part in the crime as the trial progressed.

Wesley’s mother, Carol Jaska, said after the hearing, “I am happy that it’s over with, but I’m disappointed in the fact that Wes won’t be home with his kids for a while.”

Gibson will determine the amount of restitution Joyce will have to pay to Barstow Truck Parts on June 23. Golden said he will push for at least $600,000, the approximate amount that he argued to the jury Joyce had taken.

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