The Sonoma County Farm Bureau was founded in 1917.
A former Sonoma County Farm Bureau employee was arrested last week for allegedly stealing around $375,000 from the ag-industry advocacy group. Samantha Piehoff is being held by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on suspicion of grand theft, forgery and obtaining money under false pretenses, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat first reported.
Farm Bureau Executive Director Dayna Ghirardelli told the Press Democrat suspicion of the fraud first arose when she analyzed a check to a vendor and inaccuracies and other details of the check raised red flags. Further review found additional financial irregularities and Piehoff, an employee since 2018, was dismissed and the matter eventually handed over to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.
Piehoff, who had not been formally charged at the time of this posting, is a member of the Herrerias family, whose support and membership in the farm bureau dates back nearly a century, with various family members serving in staff and leadership rolls over the decades. Piehoff, 36 of Sebastopol, was hired as an executive assistant and office manager, according to the PD.
