A Desert Hot Springs man has been arrested and charged with embezzlement from his former employer, Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT), the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department reported. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Ernesto Jose Frias Ybarra, is accused of diverting over $300,000 from the non-profit organization through fraudulently written checks. The Morongo Basin Sheriff's Department said that the case was initially brought to the attention of Morongo Basin deputies by the trust's staff.
An investigation by Morongo Basin Detectives' Bureau revealed that Frias Ybarra allegedly managed to embezzle the funds over several months by depositing checks intended for MDLT into his own bank accounts. These accounts were set up under fictitious business names. To conceal and perpetuate this fraudulent activity, Frias Ybarra is alleged to quickly have made various transactions, including writing checks and moving money online to other accounts.
The case, upon gathering sufficient evidence, was furnished to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office which filed numerous felony charges against Frias Ybarra. According to the sheriff's news release, the filed charges include 23 counts of PC 508 - Embezzlement and 20 counts of PC 186.10(a) - Money Laundering, with an enhancement for PC 186.11(a)(3) - Aggravated White Collar Crime. An arrest warrant was obtained after the charges.
Detectives located Frias Ybarra in Desert Hot Springs on Wednesday and served a search warrant at his residence where they found additional evidence linked to the crimes. Following his arrest, Frias Ybarra was booked into the Morongo Basin Jail, with bail set at $750,000. The detectives involved in the case believe that there may be more victims and have encouraged anyone with information to come forward. The announcement detailed that if anyone has knowledge related to this investigation, contacting the Morongo Basin Station at (760) 366-4175 is one way to assist or to remain anonymous, reach out to We-Tip at 1-888-78-CRIME.
