An Orange County school booster club treasurer diverted more than $400,000 from a high school football team to fund personal expenses, federal prosecutors said.
Julie Hanway Molina, 56, of Aliso Viejo, served as the treasurer of the nonprofit organization, according to a federal indictment.
The nonprofit was established to financially support an Orange County high school football team, court documents state.
From 2023 through November 2025, Molina allegedly siphoned money from the organization’s bank account for personal debts, prosecutors said. She allegedly used the funds to pay her home mortgage and credit card bills without the group’s knowledge or authorization, the indictment states.
In June 2023, the treasurer allegedly wired approximately $131,523 from the nonprofit’s account in Laguna Hills to a bank account in Santa Ana, according to prosecutors.
That transfer was allegedly used to pay a delinquent balance on her personal home mortgage, the indictment states.
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Authorities allege Molina attempted to conceal the unauthorized transactions from the rest of the board. Rather than disclosing the diverted money, she allegedly sent members emails containing false treasurer reports, according to court documents.
In total, the defendant misappropriated roughly $411,761 from the booster organization, prosecutors said. The government has not alleged that the entire sum went toward her mortgage, court records show.
On September 2, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Molina, charging her with four counts of wire fraud.
On September 10, 2026, Molina was arrested at her home in Aliso Viejo, according to authorities.
The defendant later pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges and was released on bond, court documents state.
If convicted, Molina faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, according to prosecutors.
Her federal trial is currently scheduled for November 2, 2026.
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