Laredo man accused of stealing from nonprofit pleads not guilty

LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) – A Laredo man has pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud and wire fraud, accused of stealing money from a local nonprofit.

Christian Ochoa, former treasurer and board member of Literacy Volunteers of Laredo (LVL), was charged on October 16 with embezzling funds. Each charge of wire fraud and wire fraud carries a possible prison sentence of up to 30 years.

According to court records, Ochoa served as an LVL board member for about six years and was named treasurer in 2022, overseeing the organization’s payroll, bill payments and PNC bank account. LVL, a nonprofit organization founded in 1986, provides free literacy and language resources to adults in Laredo, as well as citizenship classes for those seeking U.S. citizenship. The organization runs largely on donations from sources such as United Way, the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust, the Guadalupe & Lilia Martinez Foundation, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and local government funding from the City of Laredo and Webb County.

Court documents allege that Ochoa fraudulently transferred funds from LVL’s account to his personal CashApp account and made numerous unauthorized transactions, resulting in a loss of more than $150,000. Investigators allege he used a mobile device to move money between financial institutions, allegedly making more than 200 individual transactions involving LVL funds for personal financial use.

Only LVL’s board chair and treasurer have access to the organization’s bank account, and purchases over $500 require board approval. As treasurer, Ochoa was responsible for managing the organization’s finances, a position he held voluntarily and without compensation.

Ochoa was arrested on October 17 and released the next day. He has denied all allegations and is awaiting further legal proceedings.

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