SAN FERNANDO — The 19-year-old son of a prominent pastor pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor grand theft and was sentenced to three years probation.Dallas Rutherford — whose father, Dudley Rutherford, is pastor of the Shepherd of the Hills church in Porter Ranch — was immediately sentenced to three years summary probation and ordered to complete 200 hours of Caltrans service, said Jane Robison of the District Attorney’s Office.
A felony count of second-degree commercial burglary was dismissed as part of the plea deal.
The theft case also involved the son of Cal State Northridge’s head basketball coach and a CSUN basketball player.
Deputy District Attorney Jeff Stodel said $1,300 in stolen merchandise was returned earlier to the Best Buy store in Porter Ranch.
Rutherford was charged Jan. 6, along with Jeffrey Robert Braswell, the 22-year-old son of CSUN head basketball coach Bobby Braswell; CSUN basketball player Deon Tresvant, 23, and another man, Phannuel Gbewonyo, 28.
The younger Braswell, who works at the Best Buy in Porter Ranch, allegedly logged on to a cash register using another employee’s password, then allowed his three friends to check out merchandise without paying.
The thefts, totaling more than $6,600, were discovered when store officials noticed a discrepancy at the register, the District Attorney’s Office reported.
Braswell is charged with three counts of grand theft over $400 and one count of second-degree commercial burglary, while Tresvant and Gbewonyo are charged with one count each of grand theft over $400 and second-degree commercial burglary. They are scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 26 in San Fernando Superior Court.