RSM Woman Accused of Embezzling From High School Booster Club

A Rancho Santa Margarita woman accused of embezzling about $16,000 from the Beckman High School Cheer Booster Club was arrested today on a warrant charging her with grand theft, Irvine police reported.

Cecilia Zamora, 39, was taken into custody while at her workplace, she works in a corporate office for a financial institution, Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen said.

Zamora, who was a parent volunteer, was the treasurer of the booster club between 2009 and 2011, police said. She is no longer associated with the school or club.

A new treasurer who took over last year discovered collection notices for bills that Zamora had documented as paid, Engen said. Investigators suspect Zamora wrote the checks to herself, but in the records, the checks were documented as payments for coaching stipends and uniforms, Engen said. Checks were written for $2,000 to $3,000

Booster club leaders have conducted fundraisers to recover the lost money, the lieutenant said. Zamora, who is charged with one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement, was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail, according to Engen.

She was booked into Orange County Jail; bail has been set at $25,000.

During the 2010 and 2011 football seasons, Beckman finished runner-up to teams that posted thrilling victories.

—City News Service