The first witnesses testified on June 16 in the grand theft trial of a former bookkeeper for the defunct Jack’s La Jolla restaurant.
Tara Virginia Moore, 42, of Point Loma, is charged with numerous counts of grand theft, fraudulent appropriation by an employee, elder theft involving her former mother-in-law and forgery. Most of the charges involve Jack’s which closed in 2009, leaving 120 people out of work.
Moore has denied all charges and is represented by former district attorney Paul Pfingst.
Deputy District Attorney William Mitchell told jurors in his opening statement that Moore embezzled $3 million from the restaurant, which opened in 2003.
Pfingst said Moore has written receipts from the owner indicating she was loaning the restaurant money because it developed a cash flow problem. Pfingst said the money from her former mother-in-law was a loan and not theft.
Moore remains free on $400,000 bond since her September 2011 arrest.