A former research administrator at UC Berkeley who had a prior conviction for embezzlement allegedly stole “tens of thousands of dollars” from the university. Alameda County prosecutors have charged Sonia Waters with nine felony counts of grand theft, attempted grand theft, embezzlement of public funds, and attempted embezzlement. “We have identified a hole in our practices that can lead to some employees hired in non-sensitive positions – not requiring criminal background checks – moving to sensitive positions without undergoing background checks,” said a UC Berkeley spokeswoman. “We will certainly be looking to improve our oversight in this area and will put procedures in place to address this issue.”

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