{"id":60241,"date":"2026-01-12T09:34:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=60241"},"modified":"2026-01-12T09:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:34:07","slug":"ex-ceo-accused-of-5-2-million-theft-from-childrens-medical-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=60241","title":{"rendered":"Ex-CEO Accused of $5.2 Million Theft From Children\u2019s Medical Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\" title=\"\" data-start=\"295\" data-end=\"598\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><strong data-start=\"295\" data-end=\"318\">LAKE HUGHES, Calif.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" title=\"\" data-start=\"295\" data-end=\"598\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-6360 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/District-Attorney-Los-Angeles.png\" alt=\"Seal of the District Attorney of Los Angeles County\" width=\"282\" height=\"261\" \/>\u00a0The former chief executive officer of The Painted Turtle, a nonprofit specialty camp serving children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions, has been charged with allegedly embezzling more than $5.2 million from the organization over a seven-year period, state prosecutors said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" title=\"\" data-start=\"600\" data-end=\"896\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">Christopher L. Butler, 48, of Porter Ranch is charged with 15 felony counts \u2014 nine counts of grand theft, five counts of forgery and one count of fraudulent use of a computer \u2014 stemming from alleged misconduct between 2018 and 2025, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"898\" data-end=\"1308\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">\u201cAbusing a position of power to steal funds from a camp dedicated to helping children with serious medical conditions is an affront to both the law and our deepest values,\u201d District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement. \u201cIf you steal from the most vulnerable members of our community or the organizations that serve them, this office will use every tool the law allows to hold you fully accountable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1310\" data-end=\"1414\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">The case, filed Dec. 29, 2025, is being held on $835,000 bail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1513\" data-end=\"1586\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">If convicted as charged, Butler faces more than 18 years in state prison.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1588\" data-end=\"1797\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Steve Dickman of the District Attorney\u2019s White Collar Crime Division.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1588\" data-end=\"1797\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">It remains under investigation by the District Attorney\u2019s Bureau of Investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-start=\"1799\" data-end=\"1912\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LAKE HUGHES, Calif. \u00a0The former chief executive officer of The Painted Turtle, a nonprofit specialty camp serving children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions, has been charged with allegedly embezzling more than&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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