CA school official hid millions in fridge

CA School Official Sentenced to 70 Months for Embezzling Millions

A California public school district official, Jorge Armando Contreras, 53, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for embezzling nearly $16.7 million. Contreras, formerly the senior director of financial services for the Magnolia School District in Orange County, pleaded guilty to embezzlement and theft of funds from a district serving socio-economically disadvantaged students.

Instead of using his job at a public school district to help socio-economically disadvantaged children, Contreras embezzled millions upon millions of dollars, which he flagrantly spent on a luxury home, car, and designer clothes and accessories. United States Attorney Martin Estrada

Contreras, who worked for the district since 2006, managed multiple bank accounts, including the student body account, and deposited checks into his personal account. He purchased luxury goods and concealed the fraud with altered checks and fake names.

The U.S. Attorney's office seized ~$7.7 million in assets, including a home, a BMW, luxury designer items, and even tequila.

Contreras was charged and placed on leave in Aug '23, and ordered to pay $16,694,942 in restitution. The case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Dept. of Education OIG.