Irvine Man Embezzled $140K+ From OC Nonprofit, Prosecutors Say

IRVINE, CA — A 58-year-old Irvine man pleaded not guilty Thursday to embezzling more than $145,000 from a Buena Park-based nonprofit.

Kwang Lee was charged Feb. 24 with eight counts of grand theft by embezzlement with sentencing enhancements for property damage exceeding $65,000 and aggravated white collar crime between $100,000 to $500,000. Lee was taken into custody Wednesday and made his first appearance in court on the case in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Lee is accused of stealing $145,665.91 from the Seoul High School Association of Southern California, according to Buena Park police.

Lee was appointed president of the association in 2018. On Jan. 26, 2019, he "abruptly withdrew approximately $110,000 from a one-year CD owned by the Seoul High School Association," Buena Park police Detective D. Pantoja said in court papers.

"Lee forged documents allowing him to control and break the CD early," Pantoja wrote. "Lee used the money for personal use."

The defendant admitted to the nonprofit's treasurer that he took the money and he was given about three months to pay it back, but failed to do so, Pantoja alleged.

Lee was next due in court for a pretrial hearing June 16 in the North Justice Center in Fullerton.