Farmington woman accused of embezzling $21,000 from fence business

• Miranda Clark, 40, allegedly embezzled about $21,500 from Fence Tech at 23 County Road 3275, west of Aztec, between 2017 to 2020, according to court documents.
• Jennifer Yoder, Clark’s attorney, told The Daily Times in a statement that her client denies these allegations and regretfully states that this is a family matter.
• The defendant’s preliminary hearing is set for the morning of May 13 in Aztec Magistrate Court.

FARMINGTON — A Farmington woman is accused of embezzling more than $20,000 from a San Juan County business by allegedly making unauthorized purchases for several years with a company credit card.

Miranda Clark, 40, allegedly embezzled about $21,500 from Fence Tech, which operates from a facility west of Aztec, between 2017 to 2020, according to court documents.

Jennifer Yoder, Clark’s attorney, told The Daily Times in a statement that her client denies these allegations and regretfully states that this is a family matter.

She faces a second-degree felony count of embezzlement (over $20,000), according to the criminal complaint.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched around 3:33 p.m. on Jan. 25 to Fence Tech to investigate a reported embezzlement, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Owner Cory Edgar told law enforcement he wanted to report Clark for abusing the company credit card.

Edgar declined to comment on the criminal case when The Daily Times contacted him. Clark is Edgar’s stepsister, according to court documents.

Edgar took control of the company in 2019 after purchasing a majority interest in Fence Tech from his father.

Clark’s position with the company was described as a secretary who helped pay the bills and keep up on paperwork.

Her alleged purchases were not investigated by the previous owner, a document states.

Edgar noticed strange purchases on a number of receipts, including a large number of toiletries and/or a large amount of cleaning supplies for an office with only two employees, according to court documents.

Edgar said Clark purchased personal items with the company credit card for more than three years between Jan. 7, 2017 and Sept. 14, 2020. It was determined there were about $21,500 in unauthorized purchases, court documents stated, with the largest amount spent in one year about $9,200 in 2019.

Clark allegedly made unauthorized purchases from businesses including Audible, Amazon, Target, Sam's Club, Walmart, Albertsons, Lowes and Office Depot, according to court documents.

Edgar said some of the unauthorized activities included purchasing parts for one of her children’s vehicles, a court document stated.

According to court documents, Edgar confronted Clark about the purchases on Sept. 15, 2020, and the document said she confessed to embezzling the money. She was let go from the company in September 2020.

Court records indicate that Edgar told law enforcement he wanted to be reimbursed for all of the unauthorized purchases that he said Clark had made and decided to file a police report after trying to negotiate the settlement with the defendant. He said Clark did not sign a settlement and mutual agreement offered by Edgar to repay the money.

A female relative offered Edgar a $12,000 check to help pay for the purchases, but a court document indicates that Edgar did not accept the check.

Law enforcement also spoke to the former owner, who said Clark did not have permission to use the company credit card for outside purchases, according to a court document.

Clark's attorney filed a motion to review her client's conditions of release on April 21 in Aztec Magistrate Court, to have Clark released on her own recognizance or on bond.

Aztec Magistrate Court Judge Gary McDaniel ordered Clark released on her own recognizance during an April 22 hearing.

Clark's warrant was canceled during the hearing, and she was not booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center as a result.

The defendant’s preliminary hearing is set for the morning of May 13 in Aztec Magistrate Court.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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