After Working Wardrobes Fire, Accountant Charged With Embezzling

SANTA ANA, CA — Less than a week after a blaze destroyed its Irvine headquarters, an associate of the Working Wardrobes nonprofit was charged Friday with embezzling more than $48,000.

Alapati Mulivanu, 55, was charged with one felony count of grand theft by embezzlement by a clerk, agent or servant. A restitution claim of $48,167.57 was included on the criminal complaint.

Mulivanu, who was being held without bail, listed his occupation as accountant, according to jail records.

Firefighters were dispatched at 5:50 a.m. Sunday to an extra-alarm blaze at the nonprofit's 22,000-square-feet building in the 1800 block of Kettering Street, which was characterized as a complete loss.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation.

The nonprofit career development organization has taken up temporary offices donated by the Goodwill organization at 1501 E. St. Andrew Place in Santa Ana and has been requesting any donations of cash and clothes.

Donors were asked to contact KathiS@workingwardrobes.org or call 714- 210-2460.

City News Service