A federal grand jury has indicted the former treasurer of Aliso Niguel High School's football booster club on charges that she siphoned more than $411,000 from the nonprofit over roughly three years, using the money to cover her own mortgage and credit card bills. Federal agents arrested 56-year-old Julie Hanway Molina at her Aliso Viejo home on Thursday morning, deploying a bullhorn to call her out of the house before taking her into custody.
Molina served as treasurer of The Wolverine Football Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Laguna Niguel whose tax exemption was issued in August 2019 and that supports the Aliso Niguel High School football program, according to ProPublica tax filing records. As treasurer, she was responsible for receiving dues, co-signing checks, making board-approved disbursements, keeping records of receipts and expenditures, and providing financial statements to the board, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The four-count wire fraud indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on September 2, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
False Reports Allegedly Masked the Missing Money
Prosecutors allege Molina defrauded the nonprofit between 2023 and November 2025, sending emails containing false treasurer reports to board members to conceal the theft, per the indictment as reported by the Times. One specific transfer detailed in the indictment shows Molina wiring $131,523 from the club's Laguna Hills bank account on June 23, 2023, routing the funds through Federal Reserve processing facilities in New Jersey and Texas before the money was used for Molina's home mortgage, according to the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Molina violated the community's trust after being entrusted with money raised for young adults, and that prosecutors are committed to holding her fully accountable, per the Times' reporting. Essayli added that prosecutors would seek a federal prison sentence. Molina is expected to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A Visible Presence at Senior Night Months Before Arrest
Just a year before her arrest, Molina was still publicly representing the booster club. She spoke to student newspaper The Growling Wolverine on September 20, 2024, during Aliso Niguel High School's Senior Night, commenting on the emotional significance of celebrating student athletes and their mothers.
The booster club raised money for football operations, while prosecutors allege that more than $411,000 was diverted. State charitable solicitation records, including a report from the California Department of Justice, provide broader context on charitable fundraising. Molina served as treasurer of the volunteer organization.
Why Federal Charges, Not State Embezzlement
California guidelines say booster clubs like The Wolverine Football Club should operate as legally separate nonprofit entities from public school districts, maintaining independent tax identification numbers and their own financial controls, according to guidelines from the ASCIP. The guidelines say districts have an express right to review or audit booster club financial statements and address district approval, applications and financial statements.
Because the alleged scheme relied on interstate electronic banking transfers rather than a simple in-person theft, federal prosecutors charged Molina with wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 instead of state embezzlement statutes. Each of the four counts carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the Justice Department.
High School Booster Club Case
This case involves alleged theft from a high school football booster club.
