Holy Matcha, the highly Instagrammable North Park café credited with introducing San Diego to the modern matcha-bar concept, has been drawn into a sensational multimillion-dollar fraud lawsuit alleging the business benefited from money stolen from a major Imperial Valley agricultural operation.
A first amended complaint filed July 13 in Imperial County Superior Court names Holy Matcha LLC, founder Geraldine Ridaura and her parents, Leticia and Antonio Ridaura, as defendants in a civil case brought by seven companies affiliated with the Scaroni family’s agricultural and logistics operations.
The lawsuit alleges Leticia Ridaura, a longtime executive entrusted with extensive control over the companies’ finances, carried out a systematic embezzlement and self-dealing scheme spanning more than two decades. Plaintiffs claim the alleged misconduct caused losses exceeding $4.5 million and included unauthorized credit-card payments, checks, cash withdrawals, fabricated expenses and payments benefiting members of Ridaura’s family.
According to the complaint, the Scaroni Family of Companies is one of the largest privately held agricultural service and logistics organizations on the West Coast. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Heber in California's Imperial Valley, the vertically integrated enterprise alleges it handles an estimated 20 percent of the salad consumed in the United States through farming, harvesting, labor, logistics and distribution operations stretching from northern Mexico through California and into Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The companies also describe themselves as one of the region's largest providers of H-2A agricultural guest workers, employing thousands of seasonal farm laborers each year.
Plaintiffs allege Leticia Ridaura occupied one of the organization's most trusted executive positions for approximately three decades, beginning in 1996 and ultimately serving in senior financial and operational leadership roles across multiple affiliated companies. The complaint states she functioned as the de facto chief operating officer of the Scaroni Group while also serving as the sole owner of AgData Global LLC, an administrative company created to oversee payroll, accounting, human resources, information technology and executive management services for dozens of managers across the organization. According to the lawsuit, that dual role gave Ridaura unusually broad authority over financial accounts, reimbursements, payroll and corporate credit cards.
The complaint alleges that plaintiffs only uncovered the alleged scheme within the past several months after discovering what they describe as years of unauthorized transactions disguised as legitimate business expenses. Among the allegations are approximately $1.5 million in personal American Express charges allegedly paid with company funds, roughly $1.3 million in checks allegedly written to Ridaura's personal accounts, more than $500,000 in additional personal credit-card payments, hundreds of thousands of dollars in alleged cash withdrawals and reimbursements, luxury personal purchases, payments for private expenses including tuition, utilities and property taxes, and the alleged diversion of company funds to benefit members of her family. None of these allegations have been proven in court, and the defendants dispute the claims.
According to the complaint, Holy Matcha's connection to the case is more specific than simply being owned by Leticia's daughter. Court filings claim Holy Matcha is wholly owned and managed by Geraldine Ridaura, and Plaintiffs allege the café received part of the money improperly diverted by Leticia from the Scaroni companies and characterize Holy Matcha as a recipient and beneficiary of the alleged scheme.
The most direct allegations appear on page nine of the filing. The plaintiffs claim Leticia used Scaroni company credit cards to purchase uniforms and pay utility bills for Holy Matcha, despite the café having no business relationship with the agricultural companies. The lawsuit further alleges a Valley Harvesting corporate American Express card was used to pay Holy Matcha’s property-tax bill without authorization. The complaint does not specify the total amount allegedly spent directly on Holy Matcha’s uniforms, utilities or property taxes.
The suit separately alleges that Geraldine was placed on the payroll of AgData Global LLC, an administrative company controlled by her mother and funded through the Scaroni businesses, despite allegedly performing no services for the organization. Plaintiffs claim Geraldine received at least $363,975.36 in monthly payroll payments beginning around 2013 and continuing for more than a decade.
That allegation is directed at Geraldine personally and does not establish that the entire amount went into Holy Matcha. The complaint, however, repeatedly alleges that both Geraldine and the café benefited from the broader diversion of corporate money.
Holy Matcha and Geraldine are defendants in claims for conversion, receipt of stolen property, unjust enrichment, aiding and abetting, money had and received, and civil conspiracy. The lawsuit alleges Geraldine and Holy Matcha knew about at least some of Leticia’s conduct, encouraged or assisted it and obtained personal or business benefits as a result.
The plaintiffs further claim the defendants conspired to submit false billings and use their money to pay expenses belonging to Holy Matcha. They are seeking damages, restitution, punitive damages and the imposition of a constructive trust over assets allegedly purchased with misappropriated funds.
The most direct allegations appear on page nine of the filing. The plaintiffs claim Leticia used Scaroni company credit cards to purchase uniforms and pay utility bills for Holy Matcha, despite the café having no business relationship with the agricultural companies. The lawsuit further alleges a Valley Harvesting corporate American Express card was used to pay Holy Matcha’s property-tax bill without authorization. The complaint does not specify the total amount allegedly spent directly on Holy Matcha’s uniforms, utilities or property taxes.
The suit separately alleges that Geraldine was placed on the payroll of AgData Global LLC, an administrative company controlled by her mother and funded through the Scaroni businesses, despite allegedly performing no services for the organization. Plaintiffs claim Geraldine received at least $363,975.36 in monthly payroll payments beginning around 2013 and continuing for more than a decade.
That allegation is directed at Geraldine personally and does not establish that the entire amount went into Holy Matcha. The complaint, however, repeatedly alleges that both Geraldine and the café benefited from the broader diversion of corporate money.
Holy Matcha and Geraldine are defendants in claims for conversion, receipt of stolen property, unjust enrichment, aiding and abetting, money had and received, and civil conspiracy. The lawsuit alleges Geraldine and Holy Matcha knew about at least some of Leticia’s conduct, encouraged or assisted it and obtained personal or business benefits as a result.
The plaintiffs further claim the defendants conspired to submit false billings and use their money to pay expenses belonging to Holy Matcha. They are seeking damages, restitution, punitive damages and the imposition of a constructive trust over assets allegedly purchased with misappropriated funds.
As with any pending civil lawsuit, the accusations remain allegations contained in a civil complaint and have not been proven in court. While the defendants have not yet filed a formal answer responding to each allegation, they have outlined their anticipated defense in a recently filed motion seeking to quash or limit a subpoena served on Mechanics Bank. In that filing, the Ridauras state they "vehemently dispute" the allegations that Leticia Ridaura improperly converted company funds for personal expenses.
According to the motion, Leticia Ridaura intends to argue that the payments identified by the plaintiffs were not unauthorized thefts, but rather expenses allegedly instructed or approved by Scaroni Group owner Steve Scaroni as part of her overall compensation package and as a means of reducing the companies' payroll taxes and other corporate liabilities. The filing further alleges that after Ridaura complained about what she characterizes as unlawful corporate practices, she was wrongfully terminated and that the subsequent lawsuit against her, her husband, her daughter Geraldine and Holy Matcha was filed in retaliation and to intimidate her family. Those assertions are themselves allegations made by the defense and have not been adjudicated.
The motion does not seek dismissal of the lawsuit. Instead, it asks the court to quash or substantially narrow a subpoena seeking 22 years of Mechanics Bank records, arguing the request is overly broad, invades privacy rights and seeks information beyond what is relevant to the claims. The court has not yet ruled on that request, and the merits of the underlying fraud allegations remain to be decided.
In a statement to SanDiegoVille, Geraldine Ridaura denied that Holy Matcha wrongfully received any Scaroni company funds and said the café "has no place in this dispute." She characterized the lawsuit as "a deliberate attempt by the Scaroni companies to retaliate against a former employee by targeting her family," said Holy Matcha intends to vigorously contest the claims in court, and stated the business will seek recovery of attorneys' fees and costs associated with what she described as a "frivolous and retaliatory action." Those assertions are consistent with the broader defense outlined in the recently filed court motion.
Holy Matcha opened in North Park in March 2017 and was widely promoted as San Diego’s first café devoted primarily to matcha. Founder Geraldine Ridaura previously said she left an insurance career in 2016 to pursue the concept after becoming interested in matcha as an alternative to coffee.
The business quickly became known as much for its design as its drinks. Its pink-and-green interior, tropical wallpaper and carefully branded beverages turned the café into a popular social-media destination, and Ridaura received national attention as a young Latina entrepreneur.
In a 2019 Forbes profile, Ridaura said she self-funded the original café and was using revenue from the first location to support the opening of a second.
Holy Matcha opened that second café at the Park 12 development in East Village in March 2019, across from Petco Park. The downtown location offered specialty drinks, matcha soft serve, toast and doughnuts, but closed after a few years in business.
Recent promotional coverage published in March 2026 described Ridaura as approaching a decade in business and continuing to source tea from a family farm in Uji, Japan. That celebrated entrepreneurial narrative is now colliding with the allegations contained in the Imperial County lawsuit.
The complaint does not allege that Holy Matcha itself stole directly from customer accounts or committed misconduct involving its food, employees or café patrons. Instead, plaintiffs claim the business received benefits from an alleged family-centered financial scheme orchestrated through Leticia’s position inside the Scaroni organization.
Whether the plaintiffs can prove Holy Matcha or Geraldine knew the money was allegedly stolen will likely be central to the claims against them. Receiving a benefit is not necessarily enough to establish liability for aiding and abetting or receipt of stolen property; the lawsuit alleges knowledge and participation, but those assertions must still be supported with evidence and tested through the court process.
The Scaroni-affiliated plaintiffs are demanding at least $4.5 million in damages across the case, with some claims seeking treble damages, attorneys’ fees, punitive damages, restitution and recovery of assets allegedly acquired with diverted funds. The complaint does not identify what portion of the overall claimed losses the plaintiffs attribute specifically to Holy Matcha.
Ridaura disputed the lawsuit's characterization of Holy Matcha's involvement, calling the claims against the café "false" and arguing that the business "has no place in this dispute." She further stated that naming Holy Matcha is "not a legitimate legal claim" but rather "a deliberate attempt by the Scaroni companies to retaliate against a former employee by targeting her family." According to Ridaura, Holy Matcha intends to vigorously defend the case, seek recovery of its attorneys' fees and costs, and is confident the allegations will ultimately be disproven in court.
Holy Matcha opened in North Park in March 2017 and was widely promoted as San Diego’s first café devoted primarily to matcha. Founder Geraldine Ridaura previously said she left an insurance career in 2016 to pursue the concept after becoming interested in matcha as an alternative to coffee.
The business quickly became known as much for its design as its drinks. Its pink-and-green interior, tropical wallpaper and carefully branded beverages turned the café into a popular social-media destination, and Ridaura received national attention as a young Latina entrepreneur.
In a 2019 Forbes profile, Ridaura said she self-funded the original café and was using revenue from the first location to support the opening of a second.
Holy Matcha opened that second café at the Park 12 development in East Village in March 2019, across from Petco Park. The downtown location offered specialty drinks, matcha soft serve, toast and doughnuts, but closed after a few years in business.
Recent promotional coverage published in March 2026 described Ridaura as approaching a decade in business and continuing to source tea from a family farm in Uji, Japan. That celebrated entrepreneurial narrative is now colliding with the allegations contained in the Imperial County lawsuit.
The complaint does not allege that Holy Matcha itself stole directly from customer accounts or committed misconduct involving its food, employees or café patrons. Instead, plaintiffs claim the business received benefits from an alleged family-centered financial scheme orchestrated through Leticia’s position inside the Scaroni organization.
Whether the plaintiffs can prove Holy Matcha or Geraldine knew the money was allegedly stolen will likely be central to the claims against them. Receiving a benefit is not necessarily enough to establish liability for aiding and abetting or receipt of stolen property; the lawsuit alleges knowledge and participation, but those assertions must still be supported with evidence and tested through the court process.
The Scaroni-affiliated plaintiffs are demanding at least $4.5 million in damages across the case, with some claims seeking treble damages, attorneys’ fees, punitive damages, restitution and recovery of assets allegedly acquired with diverted funds. The complaint does not identify what portion of the overall claimed losses the plaintiffs attribute specifically to Holy Matcha.
Ridaura disputed the lawsuit's characterization of Holy Matcha's involvement, calling the claims against the café "false" and arguing that the business "has no place in this dispute." She further stated that naming Holy Matcha is "not a legitimate legal claim" but rather "a deliberate attempt by the Scaroni companies to retaliate against a former employee by targeting her family." According to Ridaura, Holy Matcha intends to vigorously defend the case, seek recovery of its attorneys' fees and costs, and is confident the allegations will ultimately be disproven in court.
Holy Matcha is located at 3118 University Avenue in San Diego's North Park. For more information, visit holymatchasd.com.
Originally published on August 6, 2026.
