Former Executive Director Dustin Colyerworth sentenced for embezzling over $59,000 from Gala Pride and Diversity Center

Author: District Attorney
Date: 6/25/2026 11:29 AM

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that former Gala Pride and Diversity Center Executive Director Dustin Colyerworth has been sentenced after he pled guilty to two felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement, and paid $59,302.07 in restitution.

District Attorney Dan Dow announced today that former Gala Pride and Diversity Center Executive Director Dustin Colyerworth (DOB 08/30/1979) has been sentenced after pleading guilty to two felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement and paying $59,302.07 in restitution.

Colyerworth began serving as Executive Director of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center of San Luis Obispo in July 2022. Beginning in late November 2022, and continuing for several months thereafter, Colyerworth took advantage of his position of trust at Gala to embezzle tens of thousands of dollars from the nonprofit organization.

Colyerworth left Gala in September 2024. Shortly after his departure, Gala discovered evidence that Colyerworth had embezzled funds from the organization and promptly reported the matter to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

On May 21, 2026, Colyerworth pled guilty to two felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement. He also admitted three factors in aggravation: that the manner in which the crime was carried out indicated planning, sophistication, or professionalism; that the crime involved the taking of great monetary value; and that he took advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offense. As a condition of his plea agreement, Colyerworth agreed to pay $59,302.07 in restitution through the Probation Department prior to sentencing, which he has now paid in full.

In exchange for his pleas and admissions, the District Attorney's Office agreed to recommend that the court place Colyerworth on two years of formal felony probation on the condition that he serve 90 days in county jail and comply with other standard terms and conditions of probation. Before agreeing to this disposition, the District Attorney's Office confirmed that the terms of the plea were acceptable to the current Gala Board of Directors and that Gala believed the agreed-upon amount of restitution would make the organization financially whole, including interest on the money stolen.

On June 25, 2026, after confirming that Colyerworth had paid restitution in full through the Probation Department on June 18, 2026, the Honorable Judge Michael Frye sentenced Colyerworth in accordance with the negotiated disposition in this case. Colyerworth was ordered to surrender to the County Jail on to begin serving his jail sentence on September 30, 2026.

District Attorney Dan Dow said, "When someone abuses a position of trust for personal gain, it undermines confidence in institutions that serve our community. We will continue to aggressively prosecute fraud and protect victims."

It is the mission of the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Public Integrity Unit to detect, investigate, and prosecute criminal misconduct and to increase public trust and confidence in local institutions.

If Colyerworth violates probation, he faces a maximum sentence of 3 years, 8 months in county jail. California Rule of Court 4.435 provides that, upon revocation of probation, the sentencing judge may make any disposition authorized by statute.

The case was investigated by San Luis Obispo Police Department Detective Marcelo Magana and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Ben Blumenthal of the District Attorney's Major Fraud and Public Integrity Unit. Victim services were provided by Victim Advocate Tristan Milledge, and witness coordination was provided by Eloiza Basinger.

A copy of the charging document can be found here.

Please contact Assistant District Attorney Eric J. Dobroth at 805.781.5819 with any questions.
###