Detective agency owner remains in jail with bail hike and more criminal allegations

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Craig Case, owner of a detective agency, remains in jail with mounting issues surrounding his finances and allegations of multiple foul play being investigated by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.

The case appeared in Santa Barbara Superior Court this morning while in custody, via remote video, wearing prison clothes.

A deputy public defender Brian Mathis consulted Case to speak on his behalf.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Brian Cota asked Judge Raimundo Montes de Oca to increase bail for the case from $250,000 to $1,000,000. Cota said Case was a risk in many ways if he went out, even with a GPS monitor. Cota told the court he had evidence that Case hid illegally obtained funds and that some of the more recent acts took place while in custody.

Case was charged with multiple felony counts related to embezzlement and grand larceny from the estate of an elderly Montecito woman. The power of attorney for the estate was in the hands of Nancy Coglizer, who was also named in charges relating to the misuse of the money.

Coglizer and Case have both found not guilty and will return to court later this month.

The district attorney’s office said Coglizer “didn’t take a dime” and cooperated with the investigation to explain how Case was able to access the estate money. It was alleged that nearly $700,000 was drawn from various checks, including several for around $5,000. and quickly converted into cash. Investigators also provided evidence of backdated employment contracts for payments when the work was never performed.

Mathis said Case was not a risk or a danger if he was released on bail, nor would he run away.

Cota cited several examples of money issues that worried him, including money that was urgently transferred to a special financial account by Case when bank search warrants were issued.

The action to freeze the money has begun and Cota is worried about the legitimacy of the money.

Mathis said about $300,000 came from the sale of a house that Case’s mother owned.

Judge Montes de Oca said he didn’t have all the information he needed at the time, after hearing the talks about money, but estimated a bond increased to $700,000. was needed.

If Case posts bail, he will have to show where the funds came from and follow other strict court rules.

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