Woman accused of embezzling $11,000 from Farmington Blake's Lotaburger
Regional manager was unable to contact suspect
- Germaine Manuelito, 56, of Bloomfield, is accused of a third-degree felony count of embezzlement.
- The defendant did not have legal representation on Jan. 31.
- She released on her own recognizance from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on Jan. 30.
FARMINGTON — The manager of a Farmington Blake's Lotaburger restaurant is accused of embezzling more than $11,000 from the business as employees told police they believed she had a gambling problem.
Germaine Manuelito, 56, of Bloomfield, is accused of a third-degree felony count of embezzlement, according to court records.
The defendant did not have legal representation on Jan. 31.
A Farmington Police Department officer was dispatched to the Blake's Lotaburger at 420 E. Broadway Ave. on reports of Manuelito possibly stealing money.
The officer spoke to a regional manager, who provided a statement which listed the 11 cash deposits that were missing.
Manuelito is listed in the affidavit as the manager for the East Broadway Avenue location and it indicated that she had not shown up to work for several days.
A total of about $11,180 in cash was missing from deposits between Jan. 10 and Jan. 15.
The regional manager was unable to contact Manuelito by phone and tried contacting her through her daughter.
The manager was unable to contact Manuelito as of Jan. 24.
Three shift managers had access to the money for deposit drops, but Manuelito was the only one to have access to the safe.
Manuelito was previously told about the issue of making late deposits several times, according to court documents.
The officer spoke to three other shift managers at the restaurant.
They told the officer Manuelito was acting different and suspicious regarding the dates the deposits were missing.
All three stated they had seen her at the casino and believed she had a gambling problem.
She was released on her own recognizance from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on Jan. 30.
The defendant's preliminary hearing is set for the morning of Feb. 5 in Farmington 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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