• Home
  • Advertising
  • Support Us
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Digital Archive
Sunday, July 20, 2025
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo-475x166
DONATE
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Unsent Messages Project
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • C…Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
      • The C Word … Community
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
Subscribe
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news-logo
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Unsent Messages Project
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • C…Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
      • The C Word … Community
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
lgbtq-san-diego-county-news
DONATE
No Result
View All Result
Home News Court News

Former Finance Director of La Jolla Music Society Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement, Awaits Sentencing

By Neal Putnam

03/31/2022
in Court News, Feature, Featured, News
0
Former Finance Director of La Jolla Music Society Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement, Awaits Sentencing

Christopher Benavides (courtesy image)

0
SHARES
527
VIEWS

Sentencing for the former finance director for the La Jolla Music Society is set for May 5 after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud in an embezzlement that totaled $650,000 over 10 years.

Christopher Michael Benavides, 52, of San Diego, remains free on $20,000 bond following his guilty plea before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Barbara Major.

Court records say he misappropriated $650,000 between Oct., 2011 and Feb., 2021 from the non-profit organization where he began working in 2006.

His plea agreement says he devised a scheme to cause checks to be issued to himself and then deposited them to his own bank account.

There is a curious paragraph in his plea agreement that suggests that Benavides has already repaid much of the funds back to the La Jolla Music Society. Attorneys could not be reached for comment about it, but the U.S. Attorney’s office has agreed to a three-level sentencing departure based on “return of funds” and also his “expeditious resolution” with his guilty plea.

While the maximum sentence is 20 years in federal prison, Benavides is likely to receive much less time. It is possible for him to receive probation or be subject to house arrest if all of the money is paid back.

The La Jolla Music Society discovered the fraud on Feb. 22, 2021 and fired Benavides in March, 2021. They reported the embezzlement to law enforcement.

“Fraud perpetrated against non-profit organizations is particularly troubling,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in a statement.

“This defendant abused his position of trust to enrich himself and will be held accountable for his crime,” added Grossman.

The U.S. Attorney said Benavides used the stolen funds to pay his mortgage, credit cards, and other personal expenses. He will be ordered to pay the organization back, if he has not already done so.

“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 non-profit organizations,” said FBI Special Agent in charge Suzanne Turner in a statement.

“I hope this guilty plea provides a sense of closure and justice for the victims,” said Turner.

Court records say Benavides has been ordered to notify the U.S. Attorney’s office if he purchases any property worth more than $1,000. He also could be fined a maximum of $250,000.

Next Post
Catalytic Converters: An Answer to the Surge in Thefts

Catalytic Converters: An Answer to the Surge in Thefts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THANK YOU!!!! Please Stay Tuned!

LGBTQ San Diego County News is Updating!

After a necessary pause for my healing, I am making important adjustments and updates to the company and website.  These changes are vital for the survival of our community’s only LGBTQ newspaper.

I appreciate your patience and support. Stay tuned for more updates, including a relaunch of the website, and the return of our print edition in the near future. Give at LGBTQSD.news/Support

Still here, still fighting. Onward!

SUPPORT OUR PAPER!

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

READ PAST DIGITAL ISSUES

lgbtq_san_diego_county_news

© 2024 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.

Navigate our site

  • About
  • Support Our Newspaper
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • A&E
    • Theater Reviews
    • Art
    • Film
    • Music
    • Books
    • Q Syndicate
    • Celebrity Features
  • News & Features
    • Cover stories
    • Gay News Briefs
    • Court News
    • Politics
    • Elected Official Reports
      • Summer Stephan
      • A Note from Assemblymember Chris Ward
    • Obituaries
  • Food & Drink
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Publisher’s Point
    • Editorials
    • Guest Editorial
    • Community Voices
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Travel
  • Columns
    • The Unsent Messages Project
    • The Shoulders I Stand Upon
    • Conversations with Nicole
    • Curtain Call
    • Back Out With Benny
    • Trans Talk with Connor
    • Out of the Archives
    • Pozitively Michael
    • Black Lives
    • Powerful Black Women
    • Digital Vault
      • Big Mike and Friends
      • Foodie Flashes
      • Positive Thoughts
      • Houston We Have a Problem
      • Let’s Fitness Together
      • Life Beyond Therapy
      • Queer Parenting
      • Notes from Toni
      • The Frivolist
      • The C Word … Community
      • Frankly Speaking
      • Generation Stew!
      • Gettin’ Ziggy With It
      • Hot Dish
      • My Good Tootie
  • Business
    • Business Profile
    • Equality Business Directory
    • LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
  • Out & About
    • Calendar
    • Pride
  • About
    • Advertising
    • Support Our Newspaper
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Archive

© 2024 LGBTQ San Diego County News. All rights reserved.