DiMatteo remains behind bars; DA won’t answer questions

By Kathryn Reed

Gino DiMatteo will be spending Thanksgiving in jail.

The South Lake Tahoe resident accused of federal drug violations had a hearing Nov. 19 in Sacramento and is scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 26 to discuss whether he will be granted bail.

Gino DiMatteo

Lake Tahoe News requested an accounting of hours and money spent on the DiMatteo case by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department. The leaders of those two departments, Vern Pierson and John D’Agostini, respectively, never got back to LTN.

Personnel in the county’s Chief Administrators Office and Auditors Office said they are not privy to those numbers.

Pierson via press release, because that’s the only way he communicates, says there is still an investigation into possible wrongdoing by South Lake Tahoe officials. He refused to elaborate.

Because Pierson’s position is elected, the Board of Supervisors has no control over him. He is supposed to be accountable to the people. All the board can do is approve that office’s budget.