Candidates for a 25th Judicial District judge vacancy will be interviewed on Sept. 8 at the Finney County Courthouse. Gavel
San Diego, California – Ping “Jenny” Gao, a Point Loma resident who once lived in a multimillion-dollar home overlooking San Diego Bay, has admitted in federal court that the view was bought with stolen money.
According to a newly filed plea agreement, Gao embezzled more than $8.5 million from her employer by quietly draining four bank accounts belonging to his U.S. companies. Prosecutors say she funneled the money into accounts she created under false pretenses, then went on a luxury spree that included a $160,000 Porsche and a $2.9 million hilltop home with skyline views.
The scheme began to unravel when her employer discovered the missing funds and sued her in San Diego Superior Court. Instead of backing down, Gao doubled down. In court filings, she claimed the real company owner in China had authorized her actions and accused the man who sued her of being an imposter. To prop up that story, Gao used more than $100,000 of the embezzled cash to hire people in China to fabricate documents, which she then submitted to the court.
Prosecutors say Gao also lied under oath during her deposition, insisting that the company bank accounts she emptied were actually her own personal funds.
The Superior Court issued multiple orders to stop her from spending or moving any more money. Gao ignored them. She continued draining the stolen cash, wiring $1.6 million overseas to a bank account in Hong Kong and making other transfers that violated the court’s injunctions.
When the civil case went to trial in September 2023, Gao took the stand and committed perjury again, claiming the money came from her personal investments in China. She also alleged, without evidence, that one of the company’s managers had helped her illegally move funds into the United States through so-called underground banks.
The judge ultimately rejected her claims, ruling against her and converting the preliminary injunction into a permanent one. But even after that, Gao continued spending the money. She sold the Porsche to CarMax for $75,000, then turned a $70,000 cashier’s check from the sale into cash through a third party.
Prosecutors say Gao transferred more than $1 million directly into her personal accounts and spent hundreds of thousands at luxury boutiques. An additional $3.29 million remains unaccounted for.
Gao now faces federal sentencing, where prosecutors are expected to detail the full scope of the years-long fraud and her repeated attempts to mislead courts, investigators, and her employer.
