Jayme Valenzuela, the former mayor of Superior, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted theft after it was discovered he’d drawn thousands of dollars in cash from a town account, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said.

Valenzuela was indicted by a grand jury in July 2016 and was accused of using the town’s debit card on eight separate occasions to obtain more than $2,300 between August 2013 and December 2014, according to the indictment.

RELATED:Superior requests criminal investigation of its mayor

Two of the withdrawals were at the Wild Horse Pass Casino and the other six occurred at bank machines in Maricopa and Pinal counties, said spokeswoman Mia Garcia.

The withdrawals were discovered by an auditor hired by the Superior Town Council. Valenzuela repaid the funds to the city after the audit was complete, Garcia said. 

Valenzuela will be sentenced May 3. He faces up to three years’ probation under the terms of his plea agreement, the office said.

Valenzuela previously worked as a commander in the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. He was fired following notification of the indictment, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman said.

Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2omhhYi