Santa Cruz County filed a civil lawsuit recently against its former treasurer, after she allegedly embezzled nearly $40 million.
Elizabeth Gutfahr is being sued in Pima County Superior Court, accused of embezzling at least $39 million, according to a Board of Supervisors statement.
The board said it was made aware of 11 fraudulent transactions, $375,000 each, in April 2024. That prompted investigations by the FBI, the Department of Justice, Arizona’s Auditor General’s Office, and Santa Cruz County prosecutors.
The county is conducting an internal review and said it intends to avoid day-to-day impact to county funding.
