Former Payson Accountant Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Stealing Money from Employers

PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced Rebecca Sigeti, of Payson, was sentenced to serve six years in the Arizona Department of Corrections followed by seven years of supervised probation. Sigeti worked as an accountant and stole money from her employers, the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District and Sunny Mountain Realty.

Over a six-year period, between August 1, 2010 and January 31, 2016, Sigeti systematically embezzled $841,055 from the District and Sunny Mountain.  To conceal her theft, the Defendant manipulated QuickBooks by not recording fraudulent checks or inaccurately recording fraudulent checks with fake payees. Sigeti issued another $408,922 in District checks to Sunny Mountain and deposited them into the Sunny Mountain account. She also issued $115,763 in District checks directly to herself or companies she controlled. Sigeti issued 32 forged District checks totaling $524,685.

After District checks were deposited into the Sunny Mountain account, Sigeti withdrew $725,292 in total funds by forging 200 Sunny Mountain checks. This includes $408,922 in District funds and an additional $316,370 of Sunny Mountain funds.

The case was investigated by the Auditor General and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Mary Harriss.

Sigeti is also ordered to pay back $524,685 to the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District and $316,370 to Sunny Mountain Realty.

No booking photograph was available at the time of this press release.