FBI investigates activity of two former school district staff members in Stanislaus County
A federal investigation is focused on two former administrative staff members of Patterson Unified School District in western Stanislaus County.
The FBI seized expensive vehicles, cash and computer equipment on May 4 from former assistant superintendent Jeffrey Menge’s home in Copperopolis, according to federal forfeiture notices. The FBI also seized computer and electronics equipment from former information technology director Eric Drabert in Patterson.
PUSD Superintendent Reyes Gauna said Thursday he could not talk about details of the investigation. He said the district is cooperating with the FBI.
Reyes said the two staff members have not worked for the district since November or December. They were first placed on administrative leave and then both resigned, the superintendent said.
After the investigation is concluded, Reyes promised the district will hold a special session before a school board meeting to inform the public about what happened.
“I believe in 100% transparency and the community is entitled to know everything,” Gauna said.
Drabert said Thursday he did not have a comment on the ongoing investigation. Menge did not return a message from The Modesto Bee.
According to the legal notices, authorities seized the vehicles and other items under federal codes that make property involved in certain criminal offenses subject to forfeiture. The notices cited a subsection of law referring broadly to corruption or financial industry offenses.
The property taken away from Menge’s home included a 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia registered to the assistant superintendent. The car was valued at $159,300. Also seized was a 2010 Audi R8 Quattro, valued at $73,200 and a 2019 Jeep Wrangler, valued at $43,700.
The notices said authorities also removed $30,150 in currency from a safe at Menge’s home, and seized $12,640 worth of computer and technical devices and $1,775 in jewelry.
Authorities removed eight items of computer and electronic equipment from Drabert’s residence in Patterson, with a value of $1,756.
A spokesperson for the FBI office in Sacramento said the agency can’t provide more information on the probe, under Department of Justice guidelines.
Menge, the former assistant superintendent of administrative services, resigned his position with Patterson Unified in October during an administrative shakeup reported in the Patterson Irrigator newspaper. He received a total of $175,931 in pay from PUSD in 2021, according to Transparent California. Menge’s employment with Patterson Unified dated back to 2018; he previously was vice president of administrative services for San Joaquin Delta College, according to the database.
Drabert’s Linkedin page says he was director of information technology for Patterson Unified from November 2020 to February 2023, receiving $128,897 in total pay in 2021. He held previous positions with Telcion Communications Group in Modesto and Shutterfly Inc.
