Mendota High School football coach Robert “Beto” Mejia pleaded not guilty to auto insurance fraud Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court.
Mejia, 32, was arrested last month. He appeared in a brief hearing in front of Judge Brian Alvarez with his lawyer, Michael Idiart. He is accused of three felony counts of insurance fraud and one misdemeanor charge of filing a false report.
An arrest warrant affidavit says Mejia admitted to lying about the theft of his all-terrain vehicle in order to collect insurance on it. Mejia is out of jail on a $16,000 bond.
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Both Mejia and Idiart declined comment following the hearing. Mejia’s next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4.
His co-defendant in the case, former Mendota High football player Arturo Andrade, 20, faces a single felony charge of insurance fraud. Andrade, who played for Mejia through the 2012 season, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
The arrests were the result of an investigation by the California Department of Insurance with help from the Mendota Police Department.
Mejia helped put the tiny farming community on the national map with a feature on ESPN.
Mejia’s teams won consecutive Central Section championships in 2011 and 2012. He was The Fresno Bee Coach of the Year in 2012 and Coach of the Year for the West Sierra League in 2011.
