Ex-Red Cross Fund-Raiser Pleads Guilty : Courts: Albert Wynder embezzled $144,000 and gave it to friends who have HIV or were just needy. Insurance covered most of the loss.

SANTA ANA —  A former employee of the American Red Cross pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling more than $144,000, saying he gave most of it to friends who are HIV-positive like himself or are just needy.

Albert Wynder’s attorney, John Duran, said nothing justifies stealing from the Red Cross, but described his client as something of a “modern day Robin Hood.”

“This was kind of his last blowout,” Duran said.

Wynder, 47, was immediately sentenced to three years in a state prison, most likely in a restitution center where he will work and pay back what he stole from the Orange County Chapter of the Red Cross.

Police arrested Wynder last month, four days after Red Cross officials said they suspected him of using a complicated checking scheme to steal the money during his three years there as a fund-raiser.

Duran said Wynder regrets stealing the money and is “eager to make everything whole again.”

Red Cross officials said Wednesday they were happy to hear the case had been resolved and that restitution would be coming.

Insurance is covering all but $35,000 of the stolen funds, a loss of less than 1% of the agency’s annual $3.7-million budget.

“We’re really pleased to get this incident behind us, and we’re appreciative of the speedy action of both the Santa Ana police and the district attorney’s office in coming to a resolution,” spokeswoman Judy Iannaccone said.

Wynder, also known as Albert Wilber Wynard, had just moved to Salinas for a new job at the time of his arrest.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Joe D’Agostino said Wynder will have to continue repaying the Red Cross long after he’s released from prison under the sentence imposed by Municipal Judge Marjorie Laird.

“It was a real fair resolution to the case,” he said.