“It appears our Association has been the target of a large-scale embezzlement scheme, involving tens of thousands of dollars carried out in a two-month blitz,” Eldorado Community Improvement Association President Ed Benrock wrote in an undated letter to Eldorado residents.

Debby Padilla, who worked for the association for more than 14 years, has been arrested in connection with the theft — which apparently involves passing forged checks, according to Benrock’s letter.

Benrock said Albuquerque police contacted the association last week and told them something was “going amiss” with ECIA accounts and that the organization suffered “a substantial theft.” He said he wasn’t sure what prompted the call and declined to specify how the theft occurred.

“It’s not appropriate to comment on that,” he said.

In his letter to homeowners, Benrock said Padilla, who also served as the association’s office manager, allegedly forged checks drawn on ECIA accounts “to systematically steal from the Association.” Padilla, who was also the association’s office manager, is suspected of having “several accomplices” not associated with the ECIA in the scheme, Benrock’s letter states.

“There also appears to have been alteration and destruction of financial records, possibly complicating the Association’s ability to carry on its business for the next few weeks,” Benrock’s letter states.

Benrock said he’d ordered an audit of the association’s accounts and didn’t know specifically how much money Padilla allegedly stole. He said he didn’t yet know why the theft wasn’t discovered by the association itself. The association has insurance against such a loss, according to Benrock’s letter.

“This appears to be a serious breach of the trust that the staff, board and members had placed in Debby over a 14-year period,” the letter states.

The incident is being investigated by Albuquerque police and state police, the letter states.

Padilla came to the attention of Albuquerque police after a man tried to cash a check at a Wal-Mart that looked “weird” using a driver’s license that also was suspect, said Officer Nadine Hamby, an Albuquerque police spokeswoman. Officers took the man into custody and he told them he received the checks from Padilla in Santa Fe, she said.

That prompted an officer to call the Eldorado homeowners’ association and warn them that they were likely being ripped off, Hamby said. Hamby didn’t have the man’s name, didn’t know any details about the check the man tried to cash and didn’t know the date of the incident. She said the case involving the Santa Fe theft was turned over to state police, while APD only handled the Wal-Mart incident, Hamby said.

Padilla was charged with fraud, forgery, tampering with evidence and two counts of conspiracy in relation to the Wal-Mart case, according to online Albuquerque Metropolitan Court records. The charges occurred on Nov. 17, the records say.

Online Santa Fe County jail records indicate that a Debby Padilla, 47, was arrested Nov. 20 on an unspecified state police warrant. She was released on bond three hours later, the records state.

Lt. Eric Garcia, a state police spokesman, said Albuquerque police called state police when they discovered the theft crossed jurisdictions. He said that agency is taking the lead on one case related to Padilla, while state police officers have discovered evidence of further criminal activity by Padilla and are investigating a second case against her. Garcia had no details about that case, but said he thought it had to do with passing forged checks.

Jason Auslander | The New Mexican