The former director of finance for the La Jolla Music Society was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in prison for embezzling more than $650,000 from the nonprofit over the course of nearly a decade.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Benavides used the stolen funds to pay his mortgage, credit cards, utility bills and other personal expenses. Prosecutors say he issued unauthorized checks to himself, then altered the company’s accounting records to make the payments appear to be for legitimate business expenses.
Several members of the La Jolla Music Society attended Benavides’ sentencing hearing, including its president and CEO Todd Schultz, who said the defendant “systematically” stole from the organization over the decade-long period and, at times, denied raises to staff because he claimed funds were not available.
Benavides told U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo, “I’m ashamed of what I’ve done” and that he has since lost the trust of many friends “all because of my poor decisions.”