Attorney General Bonta Announces 18-Year Prison Sentence for Defendant in Investment Fraud Scheme

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the sentencing of Alma Perez for her role in perpetrating an investment fraud scheme that defrauded victims of their retirement savings and inheritance funds. The scheme resulted in a loss of more than $735,000 from five victims over the course of several years. The California Department of Justice brought charges against Perez alleging grand theft, securities fraud, conspiracy, use of a scheme to defraud in connection with the sale of a security, and the aggravated white collar crime enhancement. On July 3, 2025, following a 7-day trial, the jury convicted defendant Perez of all counts and enhancements. Perez was remanded into custody and on August 22 was sentenced to 18 years and 8 months in prison.

“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." 

From May 2008 to December 2013, Perez employed a scheme to defraud by selling investments in her companies, Grand Trine LLC and Kings Funding Source LLC, falsely representing to victims that their investment principal would be “guaranteed” and not at risk, and that they would receive monthly investment returns. Perez used the victims’ investment principal for personal spending including payments for five different credit cards, groceries, clothing store purchases, utilities, dining expenses, cash withdrawals, and “Ponzi” payments to other victims disguising them as “investment returns.” In one instance, Perez forged a request for disbursement from a victim’s annuity policy and transferred those funds into a bank account that she used for personal spending.

The case was prosecuted and tried by DOJ’s Special Prosecution Section, which investigates and prosecutes complex criminal cases occurring in California, including fraud such as securities, mortgage, and environmental fraud; public corruption, including violations of California’s Political Reform Act; “underground economy” offenses, including tax and revenue fraud, and counterfeiting; and human trafficking.