News Releases

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that then-Bassett Unified School District Superintendent Alejandro Rojas and Del Terra Chief Executive Officer Luis Rojas have been charged for their roles in a scheme to bilk more than $1.4 million in public funds for their own personal gain.

“Illegally diverting voter-approved bond money from schools not only deprives our children of already scarce resources but also diminishes the public’s trust in and support for our educational institutions,” District Attorney Gascón said. “Rooting out public corruption is a priority for my office and will help us to maintain our community’s faith in a government that fairly and honestly serves all of its constituents.”

Alejandro Rojas (dob 12/25/72) and Luis Rojas (dob 11/14/64) were each charged in case BA507932 with 12 counts of money laundering and one count each of soliciting a bribe and grand theft by embezzlement. Alejandro Rojas also faces three counts of perjury and one count of conflict of interest.

They made their initial court appearance today. Arraignment was continued to October 26 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

The two defendants, who are not related, are accused of illegally using a portion of a voter-approved $30 million bond that was earmarked for construction and program management services for the Bassett Unified School District.

Alex Rojas served as the district superintendent between April 2014 and May 2017. Luis Rojas was CEO of Del Terra, which had been hired to oversee school district construction projects.

Between April 2015 and September 2016, Alex Rojas allegedly approved more than $1 million in Del Terra invoices for work that was never done.

The case remains under investigation by the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation.