PARKER — The former office manager charged with abusing her position of trust to siphon money from the town of Parker has until Monday to decide if she’ll enter a mandatory prison plea agreement or run the risk of much longer incarceration if convicted at trial.
Jennifer Alcaida, 49, is charged with multiple fraud, forgery and theft counts for allegedly embezzling from the town of Parker, where she was employed for more than 20 years.
Plea agreement negotiation in the case was detailed during a December 10 settlement conference conducted by Mohave County Superior Court judge Derek Carlisle.
Assistant Attorney General Joshua Conway said the state is seeking more than $173,000 in restitution, irrespective of the defendant’s ability to pay the money back to Parker, where she worked as an office specialist until 2021, when she was terminated during the criminal investigation.
Conway said Alcaida deposited 4 checks she forged totaling almost $159,000 into her personal bank account. He said Alcaida also stole about $9,800 in cash deposits and used Parker town credit cards to rack up almost $4,700 in personal expenses.
An Auditor General’s report said that Alcaida opened a Malaysian bank account at the direction of a man she never met in person. Defense attorney Ross Carponelli said Alcaida was vulnerable and manipulated by the man she met on line.
Carponelli said his client has already suffered consequence of publicity related humiliation, along with career damage and income loss. He argued Alcaida should be given the opportunity to avoid prison, serve probation and work to pay restitution.
Conway questioned Alcaida’s ability to make restitution and said the state position is that prison is a necessary component of any plea deal. He said her repetitive and calculcated criminal campaign to raid the Parker treasury demands time in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Judge Carlisle told Alcaida 69.5 years in prison would be her worse case scenario if convicted of all counts at trial and given maximum punishment. One plea offer on the table involves a 3.5-year prison term and another affords Court discretion between 2.5 and 5 years in prison.
Whether Alcaida accepts either plea offer or rolls the dice for trial should be clarified during the Monday hearing at the Law and Justice Center in Kingman.
