New Mexico Woman Charged With Embezzling $822K

From the Deming Headlight on 3/7/2015:

A local woman has been charged with 11 counts of embezzlement after a three-year investigation.
Anna Delgado, 45, was arrested Thursday during a routine traffic stop — without incident, said Deming Police Department Chief Brandon Gigante.

"The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue completed a thorough audit and discovered numerous criminal violations," said Gigante. "Detective (Clint) Hogan took over the investigation and issued the arrest warrant."

Delgado is charged with eight counts of second degree embezzlement (over $20,000) and three counts of third degree embezzlement (over $2,500).

Gigante said the investigation began in 2009 when complaints from customers at the Mimbres Valley Escrow surfaced.

Delgado is accused of embezzling almost $822,000 from Luna County residents.

In July of 2012, New Mexico State Police and officials from the state Licensing and Regulation Department took over the business and suspended business operations in accordance to a court order.
The court orders — filed in the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe — order stated Mimbres Valley Escrow, had been conducting its business in an unsafe and injurious manner having been conducting its business in violation of the Escrow Company Act.

Mimbres Valley Escrow owners, Anna and Jesus Delgado business was shut down in July of 2012. Jesus was not implicated in the criminal complaint.

According to the criminal complaint, on January of 2010, DPD detectives were notified of a possible embezzlement case involving Delgado.

Investigators said it all began with Delgado allegedly embezzling $53,148.17 from customers of the escrow company. As the investigation continued, more evidence against Delgado was collected and contact was made with the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department/Financial Institution Division.

On March 3, Deming Police were notified the investigation of Delgado was completed by the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department Tax Fraud Investigations Division and charges were approved for Delgado.

Gigante said Detective Hogan issued an arrest warrant for Delgado on Thursday, and she was arrested on Thursday as well.

Delgado is facing up to three years and a $5,000 fine if convicted, for the third degree charges and up to nine years and a $10,000 fine if convicted on each individual count.

Delgado is being held in the Luna County Detention Center with a $190,000 cash-only bond.