June 7, 2024 – SACRAMENTO, CA – California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced the sentencing of Chris Vrame, who embezzled over $4.3 million from investors and a nonprofit. From 2013 through 2017, Vrame embezzled about $3.6 million in investor money from a real estate venture named KV Sierra Vista where he was the managing member. Over the same time period, Vrame embezzled approximately $731,000 from a nonprofit named Conservancy to Protect the Land (CPL), where he served as executive director. Vrame paid full restitution to both KV Sierra Vista and CPL prior to sentencing.

“This case was an excellent example of the justice system working how it was intended,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The victims of this embezzlement have been given back what was stolen and the guilty party has taken responsibility and been held responsible. I am proud of my team for all their work on this case and am glad this was a positive outcome.” 

Vrame pleaded no contest to two felony counts of embezzlement and was sentenced to 364 days in jail, two years felony probation, and was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution fines. The prosecution of Vrame was handled by the California Department of Justice’s Special Prosecution Section (SPS). SPS investigates and prosecutes complex criminal cases, primarily related to financial, securities, mortgage, and environmental fraud.

Source: CA DOJ