Former California Public Radio Chief Arrested Over $1.3 Million Embezzlement Scandal
Jun Reina, the 60-year-old former general manager of Capital Public Radio, has been arrested on serious felony charges following allegations he orchestrated a multi-year scheme to embezzle more than $1.3 million from the nonprofit broadcaster. Prosecutors claim Reina diverted station funds to finance an extravagant lifestyle for himself and his family.
Details of the Alleged Financial Misconduct
According to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, the alleged theft spanned from December 2016 through June 2022, during which time Reina is accused of diverting approximately $1.33 million. The former executive allegedly made unauthorized credit card charges, payments to his personal accounts, and more than 140 electronic transfers from the station's bank account into his own.
These stolen funds were reportedly used to finance luxury international travel, high-end home renovations, college tuition for his children, and other personal expenses, prosecutors stated in their charging documents. Specific expenditures allegedly included $27,000 spent at high-end restaurants, $17,000 in golf club membership fees across six clubs, and thousands more on luxury hotels and international flights.
Lavish Lifestyle Funded by Station Money
Forensic auditors commissioned by Sacramento State University, which licenses the station, uncovered extensive unsupported spending. Investigators found at least $460,000 in donor money spent on luxury items without receipts or proper documentation. More than $75,000 was allegedly charged to station accounts for home renovation materials alone for Reina's five-bedroom, three-bathroom house that he purchased for $600,000.
Social media posts from Reina and his wife during the same period showed them vacationing in destinations including Fiji, Peru, and Dubai, matching dates from transaction logs. His social media biography still reads, 'GM at Capital Public Radio when not golfing,' despite having left the organization several years ago.
Organizational Impact and Response
The criminal case follows a civil lawsuit filed by CapRadio in 2024 alleging Reina stole at least $900,000. That lawsuit ended with a $1.2 million insurance settlement, though the station's insurer continues to pursue litigation against Reina to recover additional losses.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho described the allegations as devastating to public confidence. 'Nonprofit organizations depend on transparency and accountability,' Ho said. 'When someone entrusted with financial oversight is alleged to exploit that position for personal gain, it undermines public confidence and harms the community the organization serves.'
Chris Bruno, the radio station's chief marketing and revenue officer, wrote: 'After two years of restoring trust, strengthening our finances and ensuring accountability for past wrongs, today's criminal charges against Jun Reina are an affirmation of our relentless pursuit of the truth under new leadership.'
Career Trajectory and Fall from Grace
Reina had been deeply embedded in the organization for more than a decade, first joining in 2007 as chief financial officer, later becoming chief operating officer, and finally ascending to general manager in 2020. He resigned in 2023 just months before CapRadio was forced to announce layoffs and cancel four long-running music programs as a financial crisis exploded into public view.
A forensic audit commissioned by Sacramento State later concluded that the station lacked even basic internal financial controls and linked Reina to hundreds of thousands of dollars in unsupported spending. The 2024 report linked Reina to nearly $768,000 in unsupported credit card expenses between 2017 and 2023, with investigators finding additional payments made directly from station accounts.
Legal Proceedings and Community Reaction
Reina turned himself in at the Sacramento County Jail, where sheriff's deputies released video of him being led away in handcuffs. He has been freed after posting $200,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court for arraignment in April. Reina surrendered his passport as part of his release conditions.
In earlier court filings, Reina denied wrongdoing and claimed any accounting errors were unintentional, arguing that internal oversight failures at the station were to blame. He made his first court appearance on Monday, arriving surrounded by family, but did not enter a plea.
Outside the courthouse, former CapRadio news anchor Mike Hagerty said seeing his former boss finally answer charges was long overdue. 'It's reassuring to see that we are now at the next step of this really sad saga that cost my friends, in many cases, their jobs, that caused a great radio station to go through enormous pain,' Hagerty said.
Interim general manager Frank Maranzino, who worked under Reina for years, said the revelations were personally devastating. 'It hurt my heart… it really did,' Maranzino said. 'It was nothing I suspected.' He added that the station has since overhauled its financial systems and strengthened internal controls.
Former CapRadio president Rick Eytcheson, who worked alongside Reina for years, expressed shock at the allegations. 'I am completely shocked when confronted with the evidence of misconduct attributed to Jun Reina,' Eytcheson wrote. 'I grieve for the incredible staff and supporters of CapRadio whose trust has apparently been so callously violated.'
Capital Public Radio operates major stations KXJZ-FM (90.9) and KXPR-FM (88.9) and is licensed to Sacramento State University, though it runs as a separate nonprofit organization. The station has emphasized its commitment to restoring public trust and financial integrity under new leadership.
