Bookkeeper charged with embezzlement

PALMER -- A Palmer grand jury recently indicted a former Northern Electrical Inc. bookkeeper on 10 charges stemming from her alleged embezzlement of an estimated $347,668.87 from the Wasilla-based business.

Darlena Eaves, 30, of Wasilla, is charged with first-degree theft, fraudulent use of an access device, first-degree criminal impersonation, scheme to defraud, felony issuing a bad check, felony misapplication of property, second-degree forgery, falsifying business records, second-degree criminal impersonation and obtaining identification or an access device by fraud.

The grand jury also indicted Eaves' former husband, Christopher Eaves, 30, of Palmer, on two charges related to the embezzlement -- first-degree theft and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Mark Ridling filed the charges against Darlena and Christopher Eaves based on an investigation he conducted with Sgt. Curt Harris of the troopers' computer and financial crimes unit in Anchorage.

According to charging documents, James Page, a fraud investigator with Wells Fargo Bank, contacted the troopers and said he had evidence indicating Darlena Eaves had embezzled a large sum of money from Northern Electrical Inc., which is owned by Jeffrey Williams.

Williams told Harris that Darlena Eaves had been his "full charge" bookkeeper for more than a year, during which time he and his wife were the only people authorized to sign his business checks.

According to Ridling's affidavit, Page found several recent checks written for more than $20,000 that were not signed by Williams or his wife, and the overall NEI business accounts had apparently been emptied of more than $150,000. Jeffrey Williams said Eaves was the only person who had access to the necessary information to do this, according to troopers.

Ridling's affidavit also reported that Darlena Eaves admitted forging NEI business checks totaling approximately $74,000 -- money she allegedly diverted to her own business, Northern Lights Communications, a rent-to-own computer business.

Eaves reportedly admitted establishing a charge account with Dell Financial Services, in the name of NEI, and charging to NEI the purchase of 30 Dell computer systems worth between $30,000 to $40,000 for her business. In addition, Darlena Eaves also reportedly admitted charging approximately $15,000 on NEI credit cards. She said all of this was done without Williams' authorization.

According to the affidavit, it was also determined that Darlena Eaves had printed, forged, cashed and deposited NEI business checks totaling more than $169,000 into her business and personal accounts.

Darlena Eaves' business, Northern Lights Communications, was reportedly not a financially viable business and yet she and Christopher Eaves maintained lavish spending habits -- including household improvements, jewelry, out-of-state personal vacations and numerous expensive gifts for friends, according to the affidavit. Christopher Eaves reportedly made $50,000 in credit-card purchases with NEI credit-card accounts.

Darlena Eaves is being held at Hiland Mountain & Meadow Creek Correction Center in Eagle River, with bail set at $15,000. Christopher Eaves posted a $5,000 bail and was released from Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility in Palmer on May 26.

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.