A high-ranking administrator at Mount San Jacinto College is facing felony charges in connection with allegations that he misappropriated more than $1.3 million while working for his former employer, a community college in the High Desert.

Ron Krimper, vice president of instructional services at MSJC, is due in a Victorville courtroom on Jan. 26 for pretrial hearing for the complex case, court records show. If convicted, Krimper could receive up to four years in prison. Krimper was out of the office on Monday and unavailable for comment, according to his assistant.

The charge is not related to Krimper's employment or conduct at MSJC. Krimper has been employed as the vice president of instructional services at MSJC since shortly after resigning from Victor Valley Community College in Victorville in June 2002.

Also facing charges of misappropriation of public funds are Nicholas Halisky, the former president of Victor Valley College, and Lynn Puckett, a former contract employee of the college.

A January 2003 affidavit seeking a search warrant in the case states that Krimper and Puckett lived together as boyfriend and girlfriend at the time of the alleged crime. Puckett could not be reached for comment, either.

Police allege Halisky, Krimper and Puckett funneled state funds to High Desert businesses through a program Krimper set up in March 2000. The program was called Hi Desert Collaboration of Learning Associates.

According to the affidavit, Victor Valley College contracted Puckett to recruit businesses and community groups to participate in the program. The program offered non-credit courses through the businesses and groups. The school then received state money for the courses, according to school officials.

A state audit deemed the program to be illegal, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Detective Milt Rose said Monday, because the college program did not meet the criteria for the school to receive state money. The college board did not approve the curriculum, the instructors or the courses.

The 62 businesses participating in the program were unaware that it was not legal, Rose said, and no business owners have been charged.

Krimper, in his position as the vice president of student learning at the college, prepared the contracts for the program, according to Rose.

"Krimper was the vice president of school, and he was well aware of what has to happen (for the program to be) in the guidelines," Rose said.

Puckett received a cut of the state money funneled into the program for 18 months ---- about $300,000 for work that amounted to little more than an hour of Puckett's time each week, Rose said.

Rose said Krimper did not receive any direct benefit from the alleged misappropriation, but added that there is evidence that Puckett made insurance and car payments for Krimper.

"If you live with somebody and they make over $150,000 a year, don't you benefit from that?" Rose asked.

MSJC President Richard Giese said Krimper had informed the administration of the investigation and charges last summer.

"(Krimper) did nothing inappropriate at MSJC, and it still remains to be seen if he's done anything inappropriate at Victor Valley," Giese said.

Giese said there are no plans to remove Krimper from his position at the college during the trial.

Joan Sparkman, the president of the MSJC board of trustees, said Monday that the board had been assured that there is nothing for them to worry about with regard to the case.

"(Krimper) has been doing a tremendous job for us," Sparkman said.

Victor Valley College spokesman Bill Greulich said he believes the college will have to refund the state between $600,000 and $800,000 of the money the school received for the program.

Greulich also said the school will not go after the five dozen or so businesses which "innocently" participated in the college program, hosting the students in non-credit courses.

Krimper left the high desert school about three months after the college board of trustees opted not to extend his contract.

In an article that appeared June 2002 in the Daily Press, a Victor Valley-based newspaper, Krimper said he was leaving "because of my discontent" with the school's administration.

Rose said the investigation into the program started after Krimper had left the school; the charge against Krimper was not filed until September 2003.