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Tustin woman convicted for stealing over $400K from Holy Family Cathedral School

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Crime, Education, OCDA, Orange, Tustin 2 Comments

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case #15CF0347

Date: January 6, 2016

FORMER OFFICE MANAGER CONVICTED AND SENTENCED FOR EMBEZZLING MONEY FROM CATHOLIC SCHOOL FUNDRAISING PROGRAM

SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former office manager was convicted and sentenced today for embezzling money from a Catholic school’s fundraising program. Adela Maria Tapia, 40, Tustin, pleaded guilty to a court offer of two felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement, 13 felony counts of money laundering with sentencing enhancement allegations for aggravated white collar crime over $100,000, and property loss of over $200,000. Tapia was sentenced to four years and eight months in state prison stayed pending the completion of one year in jail and five years formal probation over an objection by the People, who argued for a state prison sentence without the possibility of probation. Tapia was also ordered to pay over $438,000 in restitution. Continue reading→

Woman charged with embezzling money from Holy Family’s fundraising program

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Crime, Education, Orange, Orange County 1 Comment

Adela Maria Tapia

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 15CF0347

Date: February 24, 2015

FORMER OFFICE MANAGER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR EMBEZZLING MONEY FROM CATHOLIC SCHOOL FUNDRAISING PROGRAM

SANTA ANA – A former office manager is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow for embezzling money from a Catholic school’s fundraising program. Adela Maria Tapia, 40, Tustin, is charged with two felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement, 13 felony counts of money laundering with sentencing enhancement allegations for aggravated white collar crime over $100,000, and property loss of over $200,000. If convicted, Tapia faces a maximum sentence of 14 years and four months in state prison. The People will request that she be held on over $438,000 bail and must prove that the money comes from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond at her arraignment tomorrow, Feb. 25, 2015, at 10:00 a.m., in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

In September 2006, Tapia was hired as the scrip card coordinator at the Holy Family Cathedral School (HFCS) in Orange. The scrip card program is utilized by HFCS to raise funds for the operating costs of the school by selling scrip cards, which act similarly to gift cards, to school families or parishioners at face value. HFCS purchases scrip cards at a discount and their profit is based on the difference between the purchase value and sale value of the scrip cards sold. The scrip card program raises approximately $200,000 for the school each year. Continue reading→