Plea deal discussed in former Stanislaus County sheriff's lieutenant's case

A judge on Friday postponed a pretrial hearing for attorneys to discuss a possible plea deal in the case of a former Stanislaus County sheriff's lieutenant ordered to stand trial on two misdemeanor counts of welfare fraud.

Mario Cisneros is accused of defrauding $833 from the county's In-Home Supportive Services program. Authorities say Cisneros fraudulently claimed payment for the care he provided his mother, who had suffered a stroke. The county program pays caregivers $9.38 an hour for providing care to people who need help at home, such as getting in and out of bed, getting groceries, picking up prescriptions or going to the doctor.

The judge scheduled the attorneys to return to court Jan. 7 for another pretrial hearing. The judge has not scheduled a start date for the trial. If Cisneros is convicted of the misdemeanor charges, he could face six months to a year in jail.