A former SF City Hall HR employee who was notoriously busted for invoicing the city for “earthquake supplies” but was actually buying VR headsets and tablets (and then selling them on eBay), pleaded guilty Thursday to all charges. We admit that occasionally we find some examples of SF City Hall corruption that are simply flat-out hilarious. One example would be the embezzlement escapades of Stanley Ellicott, the former assistant director of finance and technology for the SF City Hall HR workers’ comp division. Ellicott was charged in January 2024 for invoicing the city $14,000 for “earthquake supplies.” But according to his charging statement from the DA’s office, “The actual items purchased were three Oculus virtual reality headsets, four Rylo Action cameras, an HDTV projector, a Nikon DSLR camera worth nearly $2,000, four GoPro cameras, three mini instant cameras, six Microsoft tablets, and four OSMO pocket cameras with expansion kits.”Moreover, Ellicott then went and just resold most of these items on eBay.But it became less funny two months later when we learned that Ellicott had allegedly embezzled $625,000 in SF workers’ compensation money, through a shell company he invented via a fake auditing service. (Auditing, indeed!) That crime brought 62 felony charges from the SF DA’s office.   And today, the Chronicle reports that Ellicott pleaded guilty to all charges. And while this may be the beginning of the end of his saga, Ellicott's embezzlement was just a subplot to a larger bribery investigation into the city’s former director of the SF Community Challenge Grant Program Lanita Henriquez, and former Gavin Newsom mayoral staffer Dwayne Jones. Both of them are accused of bribery and kickbacks with city funds that were supposed to be used for civic improvement projects. “The idea that it was treated as a slush fund is infuriating,” former executive director of the Dogpatch and NW Potrero Hill Green Benefit District Julie Christensen told the Chronicle. “It cast a pall on the whole concept of funneling a small amount of money for civic improvement through civilian populations rather than city departments. It damaged an idea that’s important and necessary.”Ellicott is scheduled to be sentenced on January 2, 2026. Meanwhile, Henriquez and Jones are still awaiting trial.Related: SF Worker Who Bought VR Headsets With City Money Now Accused of Stealing $627K In Workers' Comp [SFist]Image: A man wearing a VR headset is exploring a virtual experience while seated on a sofa. The background features a neatly arranged bookshelf and indoor plants, creating a serene and modern atmosphere. (Getty Images) ...read more read less