PARKER — The former employee fired and prosecuted for stealing more than $173,000 from the town of Parker is going to the Arizona Department of Corrections. Jennifer Alcaida entered a plea agreement in Kingman on January 6, five days before her 50th birthday.
Terms of the plea deal entered at the Mohave County Law and Justice Center require Judge Billy Sipe to impose a 3.5-year prison term at a February 23 sentencing hearing. Alcaida will serve probation following prison and she is responsible for restitution to make the town of Parker whole over time.
Five forgery charges and single fraud and theft counts are dismissed in the deal that convicts Alcaida of fraud and theft.
Alcaida worked for Parker for more than 20 years, and abused her position to steal from the town.
Assistant Arizona Attorney General Joshua Conway told the Court that four checks forged and cashed for Alcaida’s personal use totaled $158,837. He said she also pocketed $9,768 in petty cash rather than depositing the money in the bank for the town and used Parker credit cards to steal another $4,700.
An Auditor General’s report said that Alcaida opened a Malaysian bank account at the direction of an online person whom she never met. Defense attorney Ross Carponelli said Alcaida was vulnerable, and was manipulated by the unidentified party.
Dave Hawkins
