Former Superintendent Charged in Fraud Scheme
Nubia Gonzalez, the former superintendent of the Haider Elementary School District in Yuma County, faces several serious charges including theft, misuse of public funds, and forgery. These accusations come in connection with a significant fraud scheme targeting the Association of Parents and Teachers (APT) at Cocopa Middle School. This follows her arrest in Scottsdale approximately eight weeks ago.
A press release from the Arizona Auditor General indicated that Gonzalez was charged back in December 2020. Allegedly, she “stole $2,486,” with an illegal district check of the same amount being deposited into her business account.
According to court documents reviewed, the matter is currently with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. However, Attorney General Chris Mays’s office has stated they are unable to comment on the situation at the moment.
On July 3, Scottsdale Police received a report from the president of the Cocopa Junior High School APT, who suspected fraudulent activity. This president found that the organization’s savings account had been depleted upon their return from an overseas trip.
Documents reveal that, upon discovering the empty account, the APT president reached out to the former treasurer to inquire about it. The treasurer was reportedly unaware of what had transpired.
Seeking answers, the two APT officials contacted the bank investigator for further assistance. Their inquiry revealed that a series of withdrawals linked to Gonzalez had emptied all the organization’s accounts.
The total loss was reported as $36,512.09. Evidence from bank documents, directly obtained from Wells Fargo, confirmed that Gonzalez had signed each withdrawal slip.
The president of the group shared that Gonzalez had been elected treasurer in April, taking control and signing authority over the accounts at Wells Fargo Bank. Remarkably, only two individuals had access. Authorities noted it became evident that the suspect quickly withdrew funds after the president’s departure. On that very day, Gonzalez is said to have deposited $22,300 into her own checking account, later using the money to pay various bills, including credit cards.
Court filings indicated that Gonzalez had informed the president of a supposed transfer of the funds to a higher-yield account, although such an account was never created, according to the bank. She allegedly sent screenshots and forgeries claiming to have documentation from doctors supporting her statements.
This was described as a thoroughly planned fraudulent operation, involving forged banking documents.
In light of these events, board members swiftly voted to remove Gonzalez from her position as treasurer. Following media reports about the claims against her, she turned herself in and now faces charges of theft, fraudulent schemes, and forgery. As it stands, the total funds that haven’t been recovered amount to $14,212.09, according to Scottsdale police.
Reportedly, Gonzalez is being held on a $40,000 bond in Scottsdale and $30,000 in Yuma County.
In response, the Cocopa Junior High School APT expressed their appreciation to the community for the support received. They noted an emphasis on unity and have implemented additional security measures while also reiterating their commitment to educating and informing parent organizations at other schools about this incident. Unfortunately, they do not expect to reclaim the lost funds but are focused on raising money for current school year initiatives.
The case is under the jurisdiction of Maricopa County, and the APT thanked the Scottsdale Police Department for their diligent work on this matter.
