Chris Benavides, 52, of San Diego, pleaded guilty Feb. 23 in federal court to wire fraud while employed as the former director of finance for the La Jolla Music Society.
Benavides reportedly accepted the embezzlement charges after stealing an excess of $650,000, according to a Feb. 23 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The reported infractions occurred between October 2011 and February 2021.
“The defendant spent nearly a decade abusing his trusted employment access to embezzle more than $650,000 from the La Jolla Music Society, where he most recently served as the director of finance,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Suzanne Turner said. “Crimes such as this can have a devastating impact on both the employer and the local community and further shake the confidence of the donors whose charitable contributions provide critical support for nonprofit organizations. I hope this guilty plea provides a sense of closure and justice for the victims.”
Affirming his abused access to the company's accounting software, Benavides also admitted to issuing unauthorized checks to himself, according to the release. Benavides reportedly used the La Jolla Music Society’s money for personal use such as paying his credit cards and mortgage.
"Fraud perpetrated against nonprofit organizations is particularly troubling," said Attorney Randy Grossman in the release, noting Benavides will be held accountable for his actions.
Sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 5. Benavides will stand before U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo.
