Ronald Galatolo, the man who ran the community college district overseeing College of San Mateo for nearly two decades, will spend eight months in county jail after a judge sentenced him Friday, July 31, for perjury and tax fraud tied to contractor kickbacks and undisclosed luxury trips.
Superior Court Judge Leland Davis III imposed the sentence at the Hall of Justice and Records in Redwood City, rejecting both the prosecution's request for two years and eight months in state prison and the defense's plea for probation alone. Galatolo faced a maximum of seven years and four months.
"The word you are looking for is honest, not diligent," Davis told Galatolo, responding to a presentencing letter in which the former chancellor wrote he should have been more diligent in preparing his taxes.
Davis said he had "extreme difficulties" believing Galatolo was remorseful. A deputy bailiff handcuffed Galatolo in the courtroom and took him into custody immediately after the hearing. Galatolo, 62, of Menlo Park, wiped his eyes before the cuffs went on.
Beyond jail time, Davis ordered two years of probation and 100 hours of community service to be performed in a Latino community, telling Galatolo he would understand the reason. Defense attorney Charles Smith III told reporters afterward that the order likely referenced allegations, excluded from trial evidence, that Galatolo once made a comment about Mexican students not paying tuition.
What Galatolo was convicted of
A jury convicted Galatolo on Jan. 20 of eight felonies: four counts of tax evasion and four counts of perjury. The trial lasted more than 40 days, and jurors deliberated for eight days before reaching their verdicts. The jury deadlocked on 18 additional felony charges and acquitted him of one perjury count.
Prosecutors alleged Galatolo accepted Super Bowl tickets, first-class travel to Dubai, and other gifts from contractors in exchange for steering lucrative construction contracts their way. One conviction stems from a $10,000 donation the district made to the Santa Rosa Junior College Relief Fund that Galatolo claimed as a personal charitable deduction. He also misreported vehicle purchase prices to the DMV, according to the Mercury News.
Nearly $1 billion in voter-approved bonds
Galatolo served as chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District from 2001 to 2019, then stayed on as chancellor emeritus for two more years, earning more than $450,000 annually in both roles. The district operates College of San Mateo, Cañada College in Woodside, and Skyline College in San Bruno.
During his tenure, voters approved bond measures totaling nearly $1 billion for campus construction and renovations, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post. Prosecutors alleged Galatolo exploited those projects to solicit bribes.
The investigation began with a 2019 whistleblower complaint. A grand jury indicted Galatolo in 2024, and his trial started in October 2025 after several delays. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe opted not to retry the 18 deadlocked charges, citing the high cost to taxpayers of another trial.
$20 million civil settlement
A separate civil lawsuit the college district filed against four construction firms accused of giving gifts to Galatolo ended with a $20 million settlement in June, according to the district.
Wagstaffe called the sentence appropriate and said Galatolo "got no benefits because of who he is." Smith called the outcome "all in all fair," though he had sought six months or less, according to Mercury News.
The San Mateo County Community College District has not publicly commented on the sentencing.
