News
Neff indicted on two felony counts
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| Terri Jo Neff |
Thelma Grimes
SAN PEDRO VALLEY NEWS-Sun
Mescal resident Terri Jo Neff is awaiting arraignment after being indicted on two felony theft charges by a Cochise County grand jury.
A grand jury indicted Neff for two felonies on June 18. Neff has been charged with one count of theft of property valued at more than $20,000, a class 3 felony, and one count of fraudulent schemes, a class 2 felony.
Gloria German, the administrative manager for Cochise County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer, said the next step is for Neff to be arraigned, where she will enter a plea. The arraignment had originally been set for July 6, but was rescheduled due to Neff's attorney, Les Boegemann, being out of town.
Neff, a former freelance writer for the San Pedro Valley News-Sun, said she will plead not guilty to all charges.
Neff, 44, is being accused by her former employer, Mescal Auto Services, of allegedly stealing money that was supposed to go toward paying bills for the company.
Neff said she is surprised by the charges, noting that she has yet to be interviewed by the Cochise County Sheriff's Department (CCSD). With rumors flying last November and December, Neff said she finally got it confirmed by the detective in charge in January that she was, in fact, under investigation.
""The last contact I had with CCSD was several months ago when the detective cancelled a scheduled meeting because he said he had to attend a training class," Neff said. "My attorney was unavailable for the rescheduled meeting, wh-ich the detective was told. Since then, my attorney had been in contact with the CCSD waiting for them to schedule a meeting."
According to the condensed report provided by Carol Capas of the Cochise County Sheriff's Department, owners of Mescal Auto contacted authorities Nov. 14 of last year.
"The owner of Mescal Auto Service reported that the former manager, Terri Jo Neff, throughout the course of her employment there, had embezzled approximately $20,000 from the business," the report states. "Taking money for bills and other items and failing to pay for them. Neff had also allegedly taken mail from the business in order to conceal the past due monies owed and various accounts."
At that time, a fraud packet was given to the owners of Mescal Auto, which was completed and returned to the sheriff's department. The case was then turned over to Detective Bobby Gerenczer.
Bob Baker, of Mescal Auto Service, located on the 3000 block of W. Ripple Road, confirmed that he and his wife notified authorities to pursue the charges.
The sheriff's report further states that the owner of Mescal Auto did not find out that Neff had allegedly embezzled the money until after she left in October 2008.
"The owner advised me that their former manager (Neff) had been receiving notices of past due bills that had never been paid," the report states. "She explained that some were for taxes and unemployment. The owner identified the former manager as Terri Jo Neff, stating that Neff had quit to go to work for the Benson Chamber of Commerce. She stated that Neff had come to the business to drop off mail for the business, which Neff had been taking home. The owner informed me that Neff had told her she had been having problems and that she did not know why she did it, stating that Neff had admitted to her that she took the money."
Mescal Auto Services further claims that their records kept by Neff had indicated that bills were being paid, and the money was taken out of accounts as they were paid.
"The owner stated that after Neff's employment terminated, she noted several bills which had not been paid and that the mail Neff had brought back indicated that they were past due," said the sheriff's report.
Neff took over as the executive director of the Benson/San Pedro Valley Chamber Commerce in October last year. She was let go by the chamber shortly after the sheriff's department investigation began.
Since then, Neff, owner of Backbone Strategies, has been doing contract public relations and event planning work for the Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group, Solar Park and Solar Foundation operated by Kevin Rasch and for the Arizona Rangers, Benson Company.
Neff, who worked for Mescal Auto for about five years, is also the chairperson for the Mescal/J-Six Fire District Board. She is the spouse of Fire Chief Warren Neff.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors in August voted to create the fire district, increasing property owners' taxes to allow .7 cents per $100 of a property's assessed value to go to the fire department, which covers 14 square miles.
Neff, and the rest of the district board, decide how to spend the tax dollars each year.
The treasurer of the board is Jean Nelson.
Neff does have a record. She was indicted for theft by swindle over $2,500 in Minnesota in 1995.
It was a misdemeanor.
SAN PEDRO VALLEY NEWS-Sun
Mescal resident Terri Jo Neff is awaiting arraignment after being indicted on two felony theft charges by a Cochise County grand jury.
A grand jury indicted Neff for two felonies on June 18. Neff has been charged with one count of theft of property valued at more than $20,000, a class 3 felony, and one count of fraudulent schemes, a class 2 felony.
Gloria German, the administrative manager for Cochise County Attorney Ed Rheinheimer, said the next step is for Neff to be arraigned, where she will enter a plea. The arraignment had originally been set for July 6, but was rescheduled due to Neff's attorney, Les Boegemann, being out of town.
Neff, a former freelance writer for the San Pedro Valley News-Sun, said she will plead not guilty to all charges.
Neff, 44, is being accused by her former employer, Mescal Auto Services, of allegedly stealing money that was supposed to go toward paying bills for the company.
Neff said she is surprised by the charges, noting that she has yet to be interviewed by the Cochise County Sheriff's Department (CCSD). With rumors flying last November and December, Neff said she finally got it confirmed by the detective in charge in January that she was, in fact, under investigation.
""The last contact I had with CCSD was several months ago when the detective cancelled a scheduled meeting because he said he had to attend a training class," Neff said. "My attorney was unavailable for the rescheduled meeting, wh-ich the detective was told. Since then, my attorney had been in contact with the CCSD waiting for them to schedule a meeting."
According to the condensed report provided by Carol Capas of the Cochise County Sheriff's Department, owners of Mescal Auto contacted authorities Nov. 14 of last year.
"The owner of Mescal Auto Service reported that the former manager, Terri Jo Neff, throughout the course of her employment there, had embezzled approximately $20,000 from the business," the report states. "Taking money for bills and other items and failing to pay for them. Neff had also allegedly taken mail from the business in order to conceal the past due monies owed and various accounts."
At that time, a fraud packet was given to the owners of Mescal Auto, which was completed and returned to the sheriff's department. The case was then turned over to Detective Bobby Gerenczer.
Bob Baker, of Mescal Auto Service, located on the 3000 block of W. Ripple Road, confirmed that he and his wife notified authorities to pursue the charges.
The sheriff's report further states that the owner of Mescal Auto did not find out that Neff had allegedly embezzled the money until after she left in October 2008.
"The owner advised me that their former manager (Neff) had been receiving notices of past due bills that had never been paid," the report states. "She explained that some were for taxes and unemployment. The owner identified the former manager as Terri Jo Neff, stating that Neff had quit to go to work for the Benson Chamber of Commerce. She stated that Neff had come to the business to drop off mail for the business, which Neff had been taking home. The owner informed me that Neff had told her she had been having problems and that she did not know why she did it, stating that Neff had admitted to her that she took the money."
Mescal Auto Services further claims that their records kept by Neff had indicated that bills were being paid, and the money was taken out of accounts as they were paid.
"The owner stated that after Neff's employment terminated, she noted several bills which had not been paid and that the mail Neff had brought back indicated that they were past due," said the sheriff's report.
Neff took over as the executive director of the Benson/San Pedro Valley Chamber Commerce in October last year. She was let go by the chamber shortly after the sheriff's department investigation began.
Since then, Neff, owner of Backbone Strategies, has been doing contract public relations and event planning work for the Southeast Arizona Economic Development Group, Solar Park and Solar Foundation operated by Kevin Rasch and for the Arizona Rangers, Benson Company.
Neff, who worked for Mescal Auto for about five years, is also the chairperson for the Mescal/J-Six Fire District Board. She is the spouse of Fire Chief Warren Neff.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors in August voted to create the fire district, increasing property owners' taxes to allow .7 cents per $100 of a property's assessed value to go to the fire department, which covers 14 square miles.
Neff, and the rest of the district board, decide how to spend the tax dollars each year.
The treasurer of the board is Jean Nelson.
Neff does have a record. She was indicted for theft by swindle over $2,500 in Minnesota in 1995.
It was a misdemeanor.
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