A former Yuma Elementary School District employee pleaded guilty to two felonies after investigators discovered she embezzled $86,000.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office announced that Mercedes Brena pleaded guilty to theft and forgery charges for using her position in human resources to steal public money.
Arizona Auditor General investigators found that Brena, a human resources specialist, organized a payroll fraud scheme and pocketed the proceeds.
According to an Auditor General report, Brena directed a third-party payroll company to make unauthorized payments to substitute teachers. She then notified the substitutes they needed to repay some of those funds and directed them to reimburse the district.
Brena pocketed those payments instead, the investigators found.
She is also accused of directing payments to a fake employee she created using her mother’s personal information, and using district credit cards to purchase gift cards and prepaid debit cards.
In total, Brena received $85,988.70, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, she will pay back the school district and could face time in prison or jail. Sentencing is scheduled for April 15.
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