Clovis woman charged with embezzlement arrested second time

A Clovis woman charged in December with embezzling money from bank accounts of handicapped people was arrested a second time, accused of taking more than $76,000 from bank accounts and local businesses.

Dawn Lebow, 44, was charged Tuesday with 66 counts of forgery and 66 counts of embezzlement.

She was released Wednesday after posting $2,500 bond, jail officials said.

According to an arrest affidavit filed in Curry County Magistrate Court Tuesday, Clovis police launched a new investigation into Lebow, a former employee if New Mexico Bank & Trust, in June after being contacted by the FBI.

Police say they discovered $76,726.43 in transactions tied to Lebow and not approved by the businesses or account holders.

In his affidavit, Clovis Police Detective Eric Muller noted he found 13 businesses where invoices had been created and approved by Lebow and checks cashed.

Muller noted the businesses didn’t receive the money and the services invoiced were either not rendered or were contrived services those businesses don’t perform.

There were also several instances where dormant accounts were emptied of money and closed but the money was not sent to the state as required, the affidavit said.

Efforts to reach Lebow for comment were unsuccessful.

In December, Lebow was charged with 12 counts of forgery and 12 counts of fraud.

Police said she drained more than $13,000 from the accounts of disabled clients of ENMRSH.

ENMRSH is a privately owned company. It provides services to disabled clients who qualify for funding through the New Mexico Department of Health’s Developmental Disability Support Division.

Gary Wiley, president of Clovis’ New Mexico Bank and Trust, said he was not aware of the recent arrest. He declined comment because he said he was not familiar with the details of the arrest.

In December, Wiley said Lebow was no longer employed by the bank.

According to fdic.gov, loss by embezzlement may be covered by what's called a banker’s blanket bond — a multi-purpose insurance policy for banks.

New Mexico Bank and Trust is FDIC insured.