Sergio Zacarias Lopez, Embezzlement, California 2025

Fresno Man Charged with Embezzling $1 Million

Fresno, CA - Sergio Zacarias Lopez, 57, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, has been indicted on six counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien.

According to court documents, between January 2016 and June 2023, Zacarias Lopez abused his position as the accounting supervisor and controller to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler.

Zacarias Lopez would write multiple company checks payable to 'cash' and then deposit them into his own personal bank account through local ATMs. He signed the fraudulent checks using the signatures of other employees with signatory authority, including one of the founders of the company.

Through this scheme, Zacarias Lopez embezzled more than $1 million before he was eventually detected by one of the banks and terminated by the company.

The indictment also states that Zacarias Lopez stole a valid social security number and used that along with other falsified employment documents to conceal his lack of legal status.

Zacarias Lopez was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and has not been permitted to return to the United States.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.

According to the indictment, if convicted of bank fraud, Zacarias Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

If convicted of aggravated identity theft or illegal re-entry of a removed alien, he faces a penalty of two years in prison.

Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant: Sergio Zacarias Lopez

Criminal Charges: Six counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien.

City and State: Fresno, California

Exact Date: February 27, 2025

Sentence: If convicted, Zacarias Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Dollar Amount: Over $1 million

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/former-controller-indicted-embezzling-over-1-million-fresno-fruit-wholesaler