MADERA - On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment charging Nicholas M. Retana, 67, of Madera, with one count of embezzling money from a program that received federal funding, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced. On Monday, the indictment was unsealed, and Retana was arraigned.

According to court documents, Retana was the founder and executive director of a kindergarten through 8th-grade charter school in Madera County until early 2020. As executive director, Retana used school funds on improper personal expenses for himself, his family, and associates.

He concealed the misused funds by mislabeling the expenses in school accounting records and misrepresenting the expenses when asked. For example, Retana purchased new Ford F-150 Raptor pickup trucks for his two sons using school funds. He also had a personal relationship with a self-proclaimed sex worker turned relationship coach whom he paid $12,000 using school funds.

If convicted, Retana faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 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 several variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.