Tony Archuleta-Perkins, former president of the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA)—the oldest LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce in the United States—was arrested for allegedly embezzling over $1.2 million from two local law firms where he was employed. Archuleta was indicted on June 26 on eight counts of bank fraud and related charges.
Located in San Francisco, the GGBA was founded in 1974. Their mission is to empower LGBTQ+ businesses in the San Francisco Bay area and advocate for social and legal policies to foster a more equal and protective business community.
Archuleta served as treasurer for the GGBA for four years before being elected as president in 2022. Learning of his arrest through local news, the GGBA accepted his resignation immediately and removed any executive and financial powers he possessed. In a statement, the GGBA says, “Out of prudence and caution, the board will conduct a full audit and investigation of GGBA’s finances.”
Archuleta reportedly used his position as CFO of two law firms to access their payment systems and deposited the embezzled money into accounts at Murrieta Valley High School 1994 (MVHS 1994), a nonprofit organization created by Archuleta, according to prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
From May 2018 to December 2023, he made unauthorized payments to MVHS 1994, and would typically write checks to himself from there for the same amount. In one instance, he funneled $41,663.69 from a law firm to MVHS 1994 and then to his personal accounts. He used the stolen assets to pay off credit cards and to purchase and renovate at least three California properties.
According to prosecutors overseeing the case, Archuleta took advantage of his trusted position within the law firms for personal use with no justifiable business-related reasoning. He went to federal court on July 1 and was released on a $500,000 bail pending trial.
