A 30-year-old California fast-food manager has pleaded no contest to stealing $232,282 from the Jack in the Box restaurant he managed in Redwood City, court records show.
Juan Jose Antonio Vanegas entered the plea on October 20 to felony embezzlement by an employee, according to a report by Casino.org. The charge concerned cash taken from the restaurant on Woodside Road.
Court records show Vanegas held back 120 bank deposits of restaurant revenue between January 1 and August 1, 2025, and kept the cash. He admitted that nearly all of the $232,282 went toward gambling.
Prosecutors said a business accountant uncovered the theft. Vanegas had previously pleaded not guilty.
Plea agreement and sentencing
Under the plea agreement, San Mateo County prosecutors agreed to drop an enhancement charge in exchange for his no-contest plea. The enhancement could have allowed Judge Jeffrey Jackson to impose the maximum sentence upon conviction.
As part of the deal, the judge will be asked to sentence Vanegas to up to one year in county jail and no state prison time. In California, an employee convicted of embezzling more than $200,000 can face more than two years in state prison.
Vanegas is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10 and remains free on a recognizance bond until then.
