SANTA ANA, CALIF. (AP) - An Orange County jury has convicted an eccentric former school board trustee known for espousing conspiracy theories of stealing a bottle of ketchup from a college dining area. The jury found Steve Rocco guilty of misdemeanor petty theft on Thursday after less than a day of deliberation.
Prosecutors accused Rocco of stealing a 14-ounce bottle of ketchup from a Chapman University dining area last year.
The former Orange Unified School District trustee testified that authorities planted the ketchup near his bicycle to make it look like a theft when he was recycling the bottle.
Rocco is known in political circles for railing against an alleged conspiracy of community leaders he calls “The Partnership” and wearing dark glasses and a cap to nighttime school board meetings.
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