LAKE HAVASU CITY — Legal proceedings involving the former Director charged with siphoning funds from the Lake Havasu Museum of History have formally begun. Private defense counsel Erin Dohnalek entered not guilty pleas on behalf of her client, Hannah Rangel, 48 on November 19.
Rangel was charged with three counts of theft in late October.
A Probable Cause (PC) statement alleged that Rangel used a work-related credit card to pay a personal motorcycle repair bill of more than $1,000 on October 17, 2020. The statement also alleged that Rangel used Museum funds on September 23, 2021 to pay a $2,862.50 bill to a mortuary in San Diego for her fiance’s funeral.
“Defendant had used a check form the organization on September 29, 2021 to pay for her $1,500 deposit on her condo at Queen’s condos in Lake Havasu,” the PC statement said.
Attorneys advised Mohave County Superior Court judge Megan McCoy that they’ve engaged in case disclosure and that an initial plea offer was extended for the defendant’s consideration.
McCoy scheduled a December 11 pre-trial conference for Rangel, who resides in the San Diego area. McCoy said Rangel can appear remotely until more substantive hearing is calendared.
