March 20, 2024

A Cottonwood woman has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to nine charges in a large-scale fraud case.

Forty-two-year-old Elaine Vowell worked for a local roofing company, and a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office investigation revealed that over a period of several months, beginning in September 2021, she used a company credit card for several unauthorized charges, and rerouted several checks from customers into her own bank account.

The employer’s losses totaled more than $30,000; and following the investigation, Vowell was indicted in 2023. After initially pleading not guilty, she accepted a plea agreement last month, and was sentenced to concurrent prison terms ranging from 2.5 to 10 years.

Josh Freeman | KAZM News Director | josh@mellowmountainradio.com