SIS investigation found availability, not mistake, resulted in Valenzuela misuse of Superior debit card
Recalled Mayor allegedly used town card when his own debit card was underfunded or overdrawn
Jayme Valenzuela
When it was first revealed in December 2015 that Jayme Valenzuela, then Mayor of Superior, had made withdrawals for personal use from the town debit card, Valenzuela admitted he did so and said he had made a mistake and that his use of the debit card was accidental.
However, a report on the investigation into the alleged fraud made by the Special Investigation Section (SIS) of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office secured recently by the Superior Sun indicates this might not be the case. Evidence collected during the investigation alleges that the town debit card was used because it was handy when there were insufficient funds in the debit card attached to Valenzuela’s personal banking accounts. It also revealed that inadequate record keeping practices by Superior Town Hall management led to the misuse of the debit card not being discovered until nearly 2.5 years after the first misuse occurred.
Evidence collected by SIS resulted in a State Grand Jury issuing an indictment on July 8 charging Valenzuela with one count of theft, a class 5 felony that carries a maximum penalty of 2.5 years in jail upon conviction. The trial on these charges is scheduled to begin on Sept. 20 in Arizona Superior Court at 175 W. Madison, Phoenix.
