Chelsea Kurnick

Hilleary Zarate listens to her lawyer, Amy Chapman, argue in her defense against Jan. 10, 2022 methamphetamine trafficking charges during a preliminary hearing in Sonoma County Superior Court on March 8, 2023.

Hilleary Zarate, Santa Rosa Junior College student support manager, pled “no contest” to a misdemeanor accessory charge in the methamphetamine trafficking case that led to her and her then-boyfriend’s 2022 arrest.

On July 28, Hon. Judge Robert LaForge sentenced Zarate to 30 days in county jail, 12 months of probation and $220 in fines. As a condition of her sentence, Zarate also agreed to submit to warrantless search and seizures of her home and property at any time. If Zarate is charged with future crimes, her plea in this case could lead to increased penalties.

Zarate worked for SRJC for 17 years until her arrest on Jan. 10, 2022. At that time, she was manager of student support, the Welcome & Connect Center and the Dream Center. She also served as the district ombudsperson.

Until her sentence, Zarate was on paid administrative leave. The Oak Leaf does not know if her sentence will impact her employment at the college.

“The District does not comment on confidential personnel matters, and no additional information is available at this time,” SRJC Interim Director of Public Relations Sarah Laggos said.

Narcotics officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) surveilled Rey David Garcia, Zarate’s boyfriend at the time, for three weeks beginning in late December 2021. At a preliminary hearing last March, officers said they observed Garcia on several occasions enter Zarate’s home for a few minutes, then travel to a house in southwest Santa Rosa where they know drugs are sold and used. This led them to believe Garcia used Zarate’s home to store drugs he was selling.

During their investigation, officers searched Zarate’s house and Garcia’s residence, allegedly finding methamphetamine in both locations. At Garcia’s home, officers said they seized 3.4 pounds of the substance and metal knuckles. In Zarate’s bedroom, officers said they seized 7.85 ounces of the substance, hidden inside socks in a drawer.

Garcia’s case is expected to proceed to a jury trial in mid-October. The Oak Leaf does not know if Zarate will appear as a witness in Garcia’s trial.

“It’s always possible that Ms. Zarate will be subpoenaed to testify in a trial involving Rey Garcia. However, that was not a negotiated term of her agreement with our office,” Assistant District Attorney Brian Staebell said in an email.

Zarate’s incarceration begins Sept. 29. If she completes her sentence, her case will be eligible for expungement, Staebell said.

Neither Zarate nor her attorney, Amy Chapman, could be reached for comment.