California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that Alma Perez has been sentenced to 18 years and 8 months in prison for her involvement in an investment fraud scheme. The scheme defrauded five victims of more than $735,000 over several years, targeting their retirement savings and inheritance funds.
The California Department of Justice charged Perez with grand theft, securities fraud, conspiracy, use of a scheme to defraud in connection with the sale of a security, and aggravated white collar crime enhancement. Following a seven-day trial, a jury convicted Perez on all counts and enhancements on July 3, 2025. She was remanded into custody and sentenced on August 22.
“When bad actors scheme to steal the savings of hardworking Californians, we won’t stand idly by,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today, justice has been served. Those who cheat the system to line their own pockets will be held accountable for their crimes. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to fight fraud and financial crimes wherever they occur.”
Between May 2008 and December 2013, Perez sold investments in her companies Grand Trine LLC and Kings Funding Source LLC. She falsely told victims that their investment principal would be guaranteed and not at risk while promising monthly returns. Instead, she used the funds for personal expenses such as credit card payments, groceries, clothing purchases, utilities, dining out, cash withdrawals, and made Ponzi-style payments to other victims disguised as investment returns. In one case, she forged a request for disbursement from a victim’s annuity policy and transferred those funds into an account she controlled for personal spending.
The case was prosecuted by the DOJ’s Special Prosecution Section. This section investigates complex criminal cases in California including various types of fraud such as securities fraud and mortgage fraud; public corruption; underground economy offenses like tax fraud; counterfeiting; and human trafficking.
