Orange County woman federally charged with allegedly defrauding high school booster club of ore than $400K

An Orange County woman was arrested and federally charged for allegedly defrauding a high school football booster club out of over $400,000, the Department of Justice said.

Julie Hanway Molina, 56, is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Molina is accused of defrauding a nonprofit she created to financially support a high school football team to help pay some of the delinquent balance on her home's mortgage.

Prosecutors allege that from 2023 to November 2025, without the group's knowledge, as treasurer, Molina diverted funds from the booster club's bank account for her own personal expenses.

The Justice Department said that in June 2023, Molina allegedly wired more than $131,000 from the group's bank account in Laguna Hills through Federal Reserve facilities in New Jersey and Texas to an account in Santa Ana.

"To conceal these unauthorized payments, Molina sent numerous emails to the nonprofit's board members attaching false treasurer reports that failed to disclose her misappropriation of funds," the Justice Department said.

Prosecutors believe Molina defrauded the group out of about $411,761.

If convicted, Molina would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count.