(The Center Square) – Former Santa Cruz County treasurer Elizabeth Gutfahr is the subject of a civil lawsuit from the county for allegedly embezzling a minimum $39 million over the course of ten years.
“Last week, Santa Cruz County filed a civil lawsuit in the Pima County Superior Court against former Treasurer, Elizabeth Gutfahr, alleging that she embezzled at least $39,412,000 from the County,” the county Board of Supervisors said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the court’s decision appointing a temporary receiver in response to this case. The receiver’s role is to take custody of, manage, and protect the assets in question, ensuring they are preserved and properly handled during the County’s legal proceedings against Ms. Gutfahr and her associates. Our goal is to recover as much of the stolen funds as possible on behalf of our community,” the statement continued.
The board previously said the public funds going missing became flagged after JPMorgan Chase notified them of 11 transactions that were each $375,000. The Arizona Auditor General, the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also have their own investigations going on into the alleged embezzlement in the rural Arizona county, according to a news release.
Court documents note that there the amount missing from county funds is actually much higher, as it typically would grow with interest.
“The sum of it all is this: for more than a decade, Gutfahr used County funds as her own personal piggy-bank to fund an opulent and extravagant lifestyle — purchasing several ranches, vehicles, and more,” court documents from the prosecution allege regarding the former treasurer and her business associates, including some members of her own family.
Santa Cruz County, which borders Mexico, has fewer than 50,000 people. Its 2045-2025 fiscal year tentative budget is $159 million.
