Fraud. Forgery. Identity theft. Allegedly fabricated, a series of counterfeit invoices for construction work is at the heart of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s case against a Lompoc City Council member.
On Nov. 19, District Attorney John T. Savrnoch filed eight felony charges against Councilmember Stephen Bridge, including two counts of grand theft of personal property that total nearly $10,000.
“I will say I am innocent, and in the end this will go away,” Bridge said in a text to the Sun.
While Bridge was elected to serve Lompoc’s 1st District in November 2024, he was charged for allegedly committing eight felonies between February 2024 and June 2025.
The first in the timeline is one count of forgery, which accuses Bridge of invoicing Lompoc Odd Fellows a falsified bill from “Turner Construction,” a company he also listed on separate invoices for services completed at local music store Certain Sparks and engineering and business consultant firm BBES—founded by Bridge, who also serves as its CEO.
According to the criminal complaint, Bridge forged the latter invoice to BBES in March 2025, while also committing identity theft and fraudulent use of a contractor’s license.
The District Attorney’s Office charged Bridge with using a license number assigned to Escondido-based contractor Turner and Associate without the company owner’s consent and “for an unlawful purpose to obtain, and attempt to obtain credit, goods, and services.”
The number Bridge allegedly used also expired in 1994, according to the license’s status with California’s Contractors State License Board (CSLB).
“This license is expired and not able to contract at this time,” the CSLB’s license lookup website states. The site also describes the firm as exempt from workers compensation insurance, as “they certified that they have no employees at this time.”
The most recent criminal count detailed in the complaint accuses Bridge of falsifying an application to benefit from Lompoc’s energy efficiency rebate initiative in June 2025.
“The allegations involve the misuse of city of Lompoc funds and conduct related to a city rebate program,” the District Attorney’s Office stated in a Nov. 19 release.
According to the complaint, Bridge allegedly stole $5,000 from Lompoc in March 2024, and another $5,000 from the city in February 2025. Bridge’s arraignment on the eight felony charges is set for Dec. 4 at Santa Maria Superior Court.
Lompoc Community Relations Manager and Public Information Officer Emily Prueitt told the Sun via email that inquiries about Bridge’s alleged misuse of city funds should be directed to the District Attorney’s Office.
“The city will continue to work with the District Attorney’s Office throughout the investigation,” Prueitt said. “The city has no other comments at this time.”
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 4, 2025.