Scottsdale, Arizona – According to court documents, Theft suspect It was filed against the former treasurer of the PTA with ties to Cocopah Middle School in Scottsdale.

Details of the highly publicized incident include:

Who is the suspect?

The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Nubia Yareli Gonzalez, according to court documents.

What on earth happened?

According to investigators and our initial report, Scottsdale Police received a scam call from a representative of the organization on July 3rd.

Scottsdale police initially identified the group as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), but an Arizona PTA official later told us that the group was the Parent Teacher Propaganda (APT), which also referred to itself as APT on its website.

Investigators wrote that when APT leaders returned from overseas trips, they discovered that the group's savings accounts had zero balances.

“She saw this and [the APT president] “The former financial officer was contacted to inquire about the accounts that had zero balances,” court documents state in part.[The former treasurer] He said he had no idea what had happened.”

Investigators said APT representatives, along with the group's former accountant, contacted the organization's banks and ultimately determined that Gonzalez had made large withdrawals from the group's savings and checking accounts. The withdrawals included:

1. On June 28th, $25,000 was withdrawn from my savings account.
2. On June 28th, $5,515 was withdrawn from my savings account.
3. On July 1, $3,010 was withdrawn from her checking account, a charge Gonzalez later disputed.
4. $2,987.09 was withdrawn from the savings account on July 1. Gonzalez also closed the savings account the same day.

“The total losses from both accounts was $36,512.9,” investigators wrote in court documents. “Bank documentation was obtained directly from Wells Fargo employees and showed that Nubia Gonzalez had signed each withdrawal slip.”

Police say Gonzalez was elected APT treasurer on April 14 and was given control and signing authority over APT's bank accounts on June 28.

“The Cocopa APT Code of Conduct states that the organization's resources are to be used only for their intended purposes and never diverted for personal use. The document was signed by Nubia Gonzalez, matching her MVD signature. Cocopa's Articles of Incorporation also state that no person may remove more than $500 in cash from any transaction unless another executive is present,” the investigators wrote, adding that Gonzalez knew about the $500 cash limit because the group's former treasurer had communicated it to him directly.

According to court documents, APT's former accountant said he turned over signing authority over bank accounts to Gonzalez at a bank branch on June 28, after which he left the bank and Gonzalez remained with the bank.

“It was clear that Nubia immediately withdrew its funds. [the bank] rear [the former treasurer] “Left behind,” the court document reads in part.

Investigators said a subpoena for Gonzalez's personal bank records, as well as video evidence they obtained, showed that Gonzalez deposited $22,300 into a personal account at another bank on June 28. Investigators said the deposit was made within hours of Gonzalez withdrawing the money from the APT deposit account.

“The cash was used to make payments on credit cards and various accounts, including those of her children, which were also documented on currency transaction reports,” investigators wrote.

According to law enforcement, when APT's president discussed withdrawing funds from the account with Gonzalez, Gonzalez said he had moved the funds from his old savings account to another account that was ostensibly an APT account. Gonzalez initially said he had moved the funds to a higher-yielding savings account and sent APT's president a screenshot of the new savings account on July 2. However, the bank later said the screenshot was “not a legitimate representation of our online banking system.”

Investigators also said that when the APT representative checked with the bank, they were told that no new accounts had been opened in the name of the Cocopa APT. Investigators also accused Gonzalez of creating forged bank emails to the APT representative.

“This was a meticulously orchestrated fraud scheme that included false and counterfeit bank documents,” investigators wrote in court documents.

According to court documents, Gonzalez was removed as APT's treasurer during an emergency meeting on July 4.

Investigators say they later discovered Gonzalez had given fake APS electric bills to the Scottsdale elementary school he attended, Cocopah Middle School. The fake electric bills came to light when detectives went to the address listed on the bills and found a homeowner who said he didn't know who the suspect was and that he'd never lived there.

During the course of their investigation, detectives also discovered an outstanding arrest warrant for Gonzalez in Yuma County, where he was accused of failing to appear in court on a charge of personal use of public funds.

“This case is currently pending before the Arizona Attorney General's Office,” the court document states in part. When contacted, an official from the attorney general's office said they “cannot comment on this matter at this time.”

Detectives said that on Aug. 9, Gonzalez contacted APT's president from a blocked phone number.

“[Gonzalez] “She saw the news and wanted to protect her children. She asked if she could work out an arrangement with the APT board,” the APT chairman was quoted as saying in court documents.[Gonzalez] She said she justified taking the money because she had suddenly had to move and was very stressed.”

Court documents also state that Gonzalez did not apologize or show any remorse, according to APT's president, who then encouraged Gonzalez to consult with an attorney and turn himself in.

Police said in a statement: Gonzales turned himself in. Afternoon of August 13th.

What are others saying about this incident?

Scottsdale Unified School District

“We are saddened to learn of the alleged theft involving the Cocopah Middle School APT treasurer. It is disheartening to think that someone would take advantage of the hard work and dedication of our parent organization. The APT, PTO and Booster Club each operate as independent non-profit organizations, and we are extremely grateful for their tireless efforts in supporting our students, staff and school.”

“The primary purpose of these organizations is to enhance the educational experience for students, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment. We want to assure our community that this incident does not reflect the values ​​or integrity of our many volunteers and community partners.

We hope that this unfortunate situation will not deter our dedicated community from continuing to serve and donate to help children.”

Cocopah Middle School APT

“Cocopa APT would like to express our gratitude for the support we have received from our entire community. We will move forward stronger and more united than ever.”

We have implemented additional security measures and will continue to educate and inform parent associations at other schools to encourage them to learn from this incident and adopt similar processes. Unfortunately, at this time, there is no prospect of recovering any money. We are working hard during this year's fundraising campaign to raise much needed funds for our school and students.

This investigation is in very capable hands at Maricopa County and we thank the Maricopa County and Scottsdale Police Department for their hard work on this case.”

What is Gonzalez accused of?

According to court documents, Gonzalez is accused of:

A judge set bail at $40,000 for Gonzalez, who faces a number of restrictions if released, including electronic monitoring, a curfew and the requirement to provide proof of address to the court.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22, according to documents.