Parole Board employee’s firing upheld

Thursday, June 24, 2004 | 10:57 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- A state hearing officer has upheld the firing of a state Parole Board employee who altered the release records of her brother, who was a state prison inmate.

Hearing Officer Angela D. Cartwright ruled Tuesday there was sufficient evidence to dismiss Aletta Pebenito, an administrative assistant for the Parole Board.

Her brother, identified only as "Tolentino" in court documents, was in prison for a drug offense and became eligible for parole in January 2002. Pebenito wrote a personal letter to the Parole Board recommending parole and asking that one of the conditions be that her brother live with their mother in Texas and that he be barred from seeing his ex-wife, Connie.

Pebenito said Connie was a "terrible influence" on her brother.

The Parole Board granted release to "Tolentino" but did not include the condition about the ex-wife. Pebenito, when typing up the paper work, included the prohibition in the release documents.

Pebenito agreed to resign in May 2002 but then rescinded her resignation saying it had been made under duress. She was then fired.