Irvine parents planted drugs on school volunteer, police say

An Irvine couple who became upset with a parent volunteer at their son’s elementary school have been arrested and charged with conspiring to frame her by planting drugs in her car and calling police.

Kent and Jill Easter, both 38 and both attorneys, are charged with three felonies. If convicted they could face up to three years in state prison.

Orange County prosecutors say the story began in 2010 when Jill Easter was angered by the unnamed school volunteer, whom she accused of not properly supervising their son. In retaliation, the Easters allegedly hatched a plot to have the volunteer arrested.

Kent Easter, authorities say, drove to the volunteer’s home shortly after midnight on Feb. 16, 2011, and left a bag of prescription pain medication and marijuana in plain sight in the volunteer’s unlocked car.

He then allegedly drove to a Newport Beach hotel, where he called police from a public phone and falsely reported seeing the volunteer -- whom he identified by name -- hiding drugs in her car.

Police who responded said the woman denied knowing anything about the drugs and consented to a search of her car and house.

Authorities later turned their attention to the Easters. Prosecutors said Kent Easter was caught on the hotel’s security cameras making the call to police and that he and his wife called and texted one another on their mobile phones during that time.

The couple, who are free on $20,000 bail each, are scheduled to be arraigned next month in Orange County Superior Court.

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-- Mike Anton