Former Arizona town employee sentenced in COVID-19 relief, embezzlement case

PARKER, AZ (AZFamily) — A former employee of a western Arizona town has learned her fate after being convicted in connection with COVID-19 relief fraud and embezzlement.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said Thursday that Jennifer Elizabeth Alcaida, 50, a former office specialist for the Town of Parker, was sentenced by a Mohave County Superior Court judge to three and a half years in prison.

According to court records, between July and Sept. 2021, Alcaida took a total of $173,295.54 by writing unauthorized checks from town accounts, keeping cash she was required to deposit, and making personal purchases on a town-issued credit card.

Records also show she received more than $20,000 from the federal Paycheck Protection Program through the U.S. Small Business Administration after claiming the funds were needed to cover payroll for a personal business that did not exist.

Alcaida pleaded guilty Jan. 6 to felony charges of fraudulent schemes and theft. After her prison term, she will serve seven years of probation and has been ordered to pay $194,128.54 in restitution.

“This case is a clear example of someone who abused the public’s trust for personal gain,” Mayes said in a written statement. “Arizonans deserve to know that those who steal from their communities will be held accountable, and this sentence reflects exactly that.”

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.