Former Santa Cruz County treasurer sentenced to 10 years in prison
Former County Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement Elizabeth Guffer, the former treasurer of Santa Cruz County, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday for unlawfully taking nearly $39 million over a decade. The 63-year-old Guffer, dressed in black, stood quietly as US District Judge Rosemary Marquez delivered the sentence in a Tucson federal court, […]
Santa Cruz County Jury unable to reach a decision in child molestation case
Child Abuse Trial Ends in Deadlock After three days of jury deliberations, the twelve jurors could not reach a decision in the case involving Emmanuel Manriquez, who faced serious charges related to child abuse. Manriquez was up against four separate counts, which included one charge of child abuse, one attempt at child abuse, and two […]
Former Santa Cruz County Treasurer Admits to Stealing $38 Million from Taxpayers
Elizabeth Gutfahr, a former treasurer of Santa Cruz County, recently pleaded guilty to serious allegations of embezzling nearly $38 million from taxpayers. Serving in her role from 2012 until 2024, Gutfahr also neglected to pay over $13 million in income taxes during her tenure. A press release from the Department of Justice details how she […]
Suspected Embezzlement in Santa Cruz County Keeps Sparking Concerns
Response to Alleged Misuse of Arizona Taxpayer Funds Republican lawmakers have reacted to serious allegations involving the misuse of taxpayer funds in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Last month, Arizona Speaker Matt Gress, who heads the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC), addressed an investigation report from the Arizona Auditor’s Office that pointed to significant financial misconduct […]
Santa Cruz River Partnership might establish Arizona’s first city wildlife refuge
Partnership for Santa Cruz River National Urban Wildlife Reserve On Thursday, officials from local and federal agencies came together at Canoa Ranch in Green Valley to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at establishing a partnership for the Santa Cruz River National Urban Wildlife Reserve. This collaboration marks the first of its kind in […]
Santa Cruz County files a lawsuit against Arizona and an auditor over alleged $40 million theft.
Santa Cruz County has initiated a lawsuit against the state of Arizona and its audit office, contending that their negligence and “subpar” auditing practices led to significant losses after the former treasurer was implicated in embezzling around $40 million from public funds. The lawsuit, filed on November 14 in Maricopa County Superior Court, claims the […]
Former Santa Cruz County Treasurer confronted with federal charges
PHOENIX – The former treasurer of Santa Cruz County has admitted to a federal charge involving the embezzlement of nearly $40 million in county funds during her time in office, according to officials. Elizabeth Guffer, 62, held the position from 2012 to 2024 and reportedly failed to pay over $13 million in taxes while serving. […]
Supervisors in Santa Cruz County reveal potential theft from the county attorney’s office
Tucson, Ariz. – Theft Allegations in Santa Cruz County A Santa Cruz County supervisor has reported another instance of theft, this time connected to the county attorney’s office. The suspected theft from the anti-attack fund surfaced during a comprehensive review of the county, which began as part of the search for new auditors. A former […]
Arizona auditor counter sues Santa Cruz County over $38M embezzlement
How to send news tips to azcentral.com and the Republic of Arizona Readers can send news tips to the Republic of Arizona and azcentral.com via newspaper social media channels or via email. Republic Arizona has rebutted Santa Cruz County after the county sued the state auditor, claiming negligence in a $38 million embezzlement case. The […]
The bizarre saga ends for the Santa Cruz County treasurer who stole $38.7 million in public funds
This week, the strange story of former Santa Cruz County treasurer Liz Guffer reached a surprising conclusion. Convicted of embezzling tens of millions of dollars of public funds for nearly 10 years, Gutfahr was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of probation. Daisy Zavala Magaña, a reporter for Nogales International, tracked […]
