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In an effort to collect the over $800,000 taken from the Silver Creek Irrigation District in Snowflake between 2012 and 2016, a Stipulated Judgment and Order for Forfeiture has been issued by the Superior Court of the State of Arizona for Navajo County over the estate of the late Harvey Leon Palmer.
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The incident came to light back in January of 2017 when Palmer, who was the secretary and bookkeeper for the irrigation district for 42 years, as well as a former Taylor town manager, admitted to investigators that he had “loaned” the funds to Margaret “Peggy” Rogers, also known as Margaret Vallborn, in multiple weekly payments over approximately four years without the district board’s knowledge. Palmer told the board president that he had been writing checks made to cash from the district account at a local bank.
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When asked by investigators why he had given district money to Rogers, Palmer reportedly said that he had done so as an investment, believing that the 10 percent interest he expected to receive from the loan would be much more than the two-tenths of one percent interest provided by the bank, even though no contractual agreement had been in place.
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He claimed that Rogers told him the money was to fund a diabetes study that required a great deal of travel. In reality investigators learned that Rogers used the money for personal purchases and to support numerous gambling trips to area casinos.
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According to court records, Palmer told investigators that he had been trying to get Rogers to repay the money, telling her he would go to jail if she didn’t, but she always made excuses as to why she couldn’t as Palmer continued to provide her with more money.
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Palmer died in February of last year without any formal charges filed against him. With his passing Palmer’s wife, Gloria Ann Palmer, became the representative of his estate. The courts ordered that restitution come from that estate, which included the home Gloria resides in as well as nearly 19 acres of land in Taylor. Gloria was not charged with any involvement in the incident.
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Although it was determined in the courts that the Palmer’s son, Shawn Palmer and his wife Dicie, had previously purchased the property in the amount of $75,000 in a “Land Home and Purchase Agreement” in 2013, no deed was ever executed between the Palmers’ legally transferring title to the subject property to Shawn or Dicie. There was also no document recorded with the Navajo County Recorder that would have transferred legal title.
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As a result, the courts claimed the property and then Shawn and Dicie Palmer will be allowed to purchase the real property from the state in the amount of $175,000. Once the funds are received by the state, the lien on the property will be released and the couple will retain ownership of the property. As part of the judgement, the state will waive the remaining misappropriated monies. All monies collected will go to the SCID.
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According to the Navajo County Attorney’s Office, $175,000 will be obtained for the Palmer’s real property; $27,627 was seized from Harvey and Gloria Palmer’s bank accounts; and $1,642 was ordered seized from the Rogers’ bank account. The personal property seized from the Rogers, consisting mostly of guns, ammunition and a truck, is currently being sold and is expected to provide another $10,000 to $20,000. An estimate of the total recovery will be between $214,269 and $224,269.
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Criminal charges have been filed against the Rogers. Margaret Rogers has been charged with leading/assisting organized crime, money laundering, two counts each of conspiracy and theft, three counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, and five counts of forgery, and Russell Rogers has been charged with leading/assisting organized crime, money laundering, and two counts each of conspiracy and theft. Both appeared before Navajo County Superior Court Judge Ralph Hatch last week and are schedule to go to trial in September.
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