In March, 2014 Peninsula Symphony Orchestra’s former executive director, Stephen Jay Carlton, was arrested on charges of grand theft, embezzlement, forgery, ID theft and tax fraud, plus enhancements for excessive taking. A recent article by Tracey Kaplan in the 12/5/2014 edition of the Mercury News reports Carlton was recently convicted on all charges and prosecutors are asking for a 16 year sentence, which might seem extreme for embezzling $272,000; that is, until the creepy part comes to light.
According to Kaplan’s report, prosecutors are seeking the stiff penalty because Carlton has a voluntary manslaughter conviction from 1991 due to what Carlton’s attorney loosely described as a consensual erotic asphyxiation accident.
The entire ordeal reaches far beyond the typical embezzlement scenario. Mark MacNamara published a comprehensive overview of Carlton’s illicit activities in an article at sfcv.org originally published on 4/11/2014 then updated on 09/22/2014. It’s worth taking the time to give it a read, especially if you’re a board member responsible for due diligence and oversight.
Most professional orchestra collective bargaining agreements expire during the summer months and since the economic downturn, it is increasingly common to see groups continue…