Julie Hanway Molina, 56, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday morning at her home in Aliso Viejo, California, for allegedly embezzling over $400,000 from a high school booster club.
Molina, who served as treasurer for the nonprofit booster club supporting the Aliso Niguel High School football team, faces four counts of wire fraud. A federal indictment states that between 2023 and November 2025, Molina defrauded the organization of $411,761.
Prosecutors allege that in June 2023 alone, Molina wired approximately $131,523 from the nonprofit's bank account to cover delinquent mortgage payments on her personal residence. The funds were reportedly routed through Federal Reserve facilities before reaching a local account. Investigators claim the remaining funds were used to pay off personal credit card balances and cover routine living expenses.
According to the indictment, Molina allegedly sent falsified treasurer reports to fellow board members, failing to disclose the misappropriation of funds. The booster club is a volunteer nonprofit established to fund equipment, travel, and operations for the school's football program.
Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli stated that federal prosecutors will seek significant prison time for Molina. "This defendant was entrusted by the community with safeguarding money raised for young adults. She violated that trust and is now a charged felon," Essayli said in a statement. "Our prosecutors are committed to holding her fully accountable, including seeking a federal prison sentence."
Molina is scheduled to make her initial court appearance at the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana. If convicted on all four counts of wire fraud, she faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge.