LOS ANGELES – A Santa Maria financial advisor, Julie Anne Darrah, has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $2 million from her elderly clients. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the plea on Tuesday, detailing a scheme that involved Darrah siphoning funds from her clients’ accounts for personal gain.
Darrah, who served as president of Vivid Financial Management in Santa Maria from 2015 to 2021, admitted to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, Darrah stole nearly $2.25 million from her elderly clients between November 2016 and July 2023. She achieved this by convincing her clients to sign documents that made her the trustee of their trusts or granted her access to their bank accounts. She subsequently transferred money from those accounts to others, including some she personally owned.
The DOJ stated that Darrah used the stolen funds to purchase properties, luxury cars, cover her personal expenses, and operate her business. In at least one instance, a client only discovered the theft when they realized they lacked sufficient funds for end-of-life care.
“Darrah took advantage of the trust victims placed in her — often convincing them she would take care of them in their older years like a daughter, and she used this trust to convince them to sign the documents that she then used to steal money from them,” a DOJ press release said.
Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally added, “The defendant took advantage of her clients’ trust. Many of them were elderly and she stole from them using their funds as her own. Our seniors should never have to question whether their money is safe. She will now be held accountable for her actions.”
Darrah’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 19. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Additionally, a district judge has ordered her to pay approximately $2.4 million, including interest. The information presented in this article is based on a U.S. Department of Justice press release issued on March 4, 2025.
