HOUSTON – A former senior executive at Space Center Houston is wanted on a felony charge after investigators say he diverted nearly $88,000 from a nonprofit organization over several months.
According to charging documents filed April 17, Jason Justiniano Olea, 38, is accused of felony theft from a nonprofit organization. The alleged loss totals $87,784.12, placing the charge within the $30,000 to $150,000 felony range under Texas law.
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Investigators with the Houston Police Department Property and Financial Crimes Division say the alleged theft occurred between January 15 and October 18, 2024, while Olea was employed as vice president of IT for Manned Space Flight, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates Space Center Houston. He was terminated on October 18, 2024.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Olea allegedly used a company-issued American Express card for personal purchases, then submitted altered receipts to seek reimbursement. The card was restricted to business use under a signed agreement.
The theft was uncovered in September 2024 when a senior accountant flagged an irregular Amazon receipt. Investigators noted multiple red flags, including altered formatting, incorrect tax charges for a tax-exempt organization, and mismatched order numbers. The discovery prompted a broader internal audit of expense reports dating back to January 2024.
Authorities say Olea used personal Amazon and PayPal accounts to make purchases, then manipulated receipts to conceal the true nature of the transactions. Investigators allege he downloaded legitimate receipts, edited them using Microsoft Word, and re-saved them as PDFs before submitting them for reimbursement.
Examples cited in the charging documents include a reimbursement request for a Microsoft Copilot Enterprise license listed at $2,520 when the actual charge was $137.80, and a PayPal purchase labeled as a “titanium mounting frame” that investigators say was actually a personal item.
Evidence cited includes subpoenaed financial records from American Express, Amazon, PayPal and KeyBank, as well as metadata from altered PDF files showing edits consistent with document manipulation. Investigators also linked shipping information on receipts to Olea’s home address.
A certified fraud examiner conducted an independent review, confirming the total loss amount, according to the documents.
Olea declined to provide a statement when contacted by investigators. As of the filing, no arrest date had been listed.