Charles Vega
The Town of Hayden’s former mayor and fire chief has come under fire again, this time facing theft and drug charges.
On June 26, 2018, a report was filed with the Hayden Police Department regarding allegations of unauthorized use of a town fuel card for fuel purchases.
During the investigation, it was determined that over $2,500 in fraudulent/unauthorized charges had been incurred by the town with at least 51 separate transactions taking place over the course of several months. Following the onset of the investigation, an internal audit was performed on the cards assigned to the different departments in the town. The audit revealed a card assigned to the Fire Department was missing and the pin assigned to a town employee was being used to make transactions on the missing card.
Throughout the course of the investigation, several leads were followed up on and investigators quickly identified Charles Vega, 42, of Hayden, AZ as a suspect in the case. During the investigation, Vega was observed fueling at the Giant Gas Station in Winkelman on dates and times coinciding with the dates and times charges were being incurred on the town fuel card.
On July 19, 2018, a search warrant was executed on the Vega residence and on the vehicle he was observed fueling. The missing town fuel card and receipts were located during the search warrant.
During his arrest, Vega was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He was subsequently transported and booked in to the Gila County Jail on the following charges;
• Theft of a Credit Card
• Fraudulent use of Credit Card (51 counts)
• Possession of Dangerous Drugs Possession of Marijuana
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
The case has been turned over to the Gila County Attorney’s Office for charging.
“Mr. Vega has a history of theft and other criminal activity in both Gila and Pinal counties. This incident shows his complete lack of respect for the court and a failure to comply with the conditions of his current probation. Swift action by town management and an exceptional investigation by our staff led to the quick identification and apprehension of Vega for this crime,” said Police Chief Tamatha Villar. “Mr. Vega is once again, behind bars, where he should be.”