A FEDERAL judge has sentenced a former school finance officer to 70 months in prison (Shutterstock).

A federal prison sentence of nearly six years was handed down to the former top financial officer of the Magnolia School District on Thursday in Santa Ana.

U.S. District Judge Fred A. Slaughter sentenced Jorge Armando Contreras, 53, of Yorba Linda to 70 months and to pay $16,694,842 in restitution to the MSD, a  K-6 school system that serves West Anaheim and parts of Stanton.

He pleaded guilty on March 28 to one count of embezzlement, theft and intentional misapplication of funds from an organization receiving federal funds.

Contreras had been senior director of fiscal services.  He managed and had access to various school district bank accounts as well as the student body bank account, directing some checks from them to be deposited into his personal bank account.

He was placed on administration leave in August 2023.

So far, law enforcement agencies have seized about $7.7 million in personal and real property from Contreras, including a home in Yorba Linda, a 2021 BMW automobile, 57 luxury designer handbags and various pieces of jewelry, designer clothes and shoes as well as eight bottles of Clase Azul Ultra luxury tequila.