IT Director of Orange County Non-Profit Organization Admits Embezzlement

Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse (Photo by R. Scott Moxley)

Christoffer Denney—once the information technology director for the Legal Aid Society of Orange County—has admitted under pressure from prosecutors that he embezzled nearly $17,000 from the non-profit organization during a three-month period in 2016.

Denney’s decision inside Orange County’s Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse follows an 18-count grand jury indictment in May 2018.

U.S. District Court Judge Josephine L. Staton accepted the plea change this month—just four days before a scheduled jury trial.

Under the terms of the deal, Denney—who was born in 1984—faces a maximum punishment of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. 

According to prosecutors, the defendant used one of the non-profit group’s credit cards to make at least 18 purchases ranging from $151 to $3,336 for personal use. 

The Legal Aid Society receives funds from a variety of sources, including U.S. taxpayers, and aims to provide free civil case advice to seniors and low income individuals.

A sentencing hearing will occur in coming weeks. 

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