Mayor's Ex-Aid Under Criminal Investigation For Alleged Credit Card Misuse

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The scrutiny is intensifying for Mayor Kevin Johnson's ex-aide Lisa Serna-Mayorga.

Police confirm she is now at the center of a criminal investigation.

"We're looking at whether or not there is sufficient evidence to submit a crime or a packet to the district attorney's office," said Sgt. Andrew Pettit with the Sacramento Police Department. "Once the investigation is complete, we will forward that to the district attorney's office for review."

The police investigation includes the possibility of search warrants filed for her home, her workspace at City Hall and interviews with city staff.

The mayor's spokeperson released a statement reading in part:

"While he remains saddened and disappointed by the conduct in question, he will always insist on full accountability for all city employees entrusted with public dollars."

The daughter of beloved former Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna and sister of current Sacramento Supervisor Phil Serna, she resigned from her high-ranking post in City Hall following revelations she used a city-issued credit card for personal expenses.

Now, it's opening the door to questions about her own possible financial trouble.

Records show Serna-Mayorga and her husband bought a home in 2001 and sold it just last year.

Neighbors say they lived there for a full decade, a time in Natomas that saw home prices fluctuate wildly.

Documents show the couple refinanced their home four times in that decade, in 2006 owing $408,000 on a home loan. They sold in 2011 for just $230,000.

Serna-Mayorga moved to Tahoe Park last year, where she was rumored to be considering her own run for a council seat.

Now any political ambitions are on hold while police are probing for evidence of a crime.