Former employee accused of embezzling from McGinn's PistachioLand

Cristina Carreon
Alamogordo Daily News
File photo of McGinn's PistachioLand in Alamogordo.

A former store manager for McGinn's PistachioLand in Alamogordo was accused of embezzling money from McGinn's while employed there.

Jennifer Najar, 43, of Alamogordo, was charged with two counts of embezzlement exceeding $20,000, a second-degree felony.

Najar was an employee of McGinn's from 2011 to January 2019, working part-time or full-time at different points during that period, according to Magistrate Court records.

She worked full-time as a store manager in July 2014 at McGinn's and maintained that position until she was terminated with cause on Jan. 9, 2019, court records state.

The criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court accused Najar of converting monies owned by McGinn's PistachioLand to her own use within her employment with McGinn's between July 6, 2015 and Jan. 9, 2019.

According to court records, Najar's relationship with her employers began to "sour" by late 2018 and Najar was reassigned to the owners' second store location.

During a review of daily sales records at the second McGinn's store location on Jan. 9, 2019, owner Tim McGinn noticed an anomaly, court records state.

The total credit card purchases were higher for the day than the day's net total sales, court records state.

Najar was observed physically withdrawing cash from a register over surveillance footage, court records state.

During a recorded interview with Najar, McGinn confronted Najar with these observations, court records state.

Najar admitted to using a "Square" device at least once to complete purchases, after first denying doing so during the interview, court records state.

The Square device allows the user to collect credit card payments for purchases using a mobile phone. Najar was observed using a Square device to complete purchases on Jan. 7, 2019, court records state.

A search warrant granted on Apr. 22, 2019 for Najar's Square device account records confirmed she had used the device at least three times on Jan. 7, 2019, court records state.

An affidavit within Najar's court records stated there was probable cause Najar systematically embezzled at least a total of $84,584.07 between February 2014 and January 2019 from McGinn's PistachioLand.

The criminal investigations department of the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney's office assisted with the investigation into the allegation of embezzlement.  

Comment from McGinn's owners was not acquired in time for publication. Najar's attorney, Spencer Burt Atkins did not provide a comment on the case.

"We have no comment at this time," Atkins said.

A preliminary examination for the case is scheduled Feb. 19 at Alamogordo Magistrate Court.

McGinn's owns and operates two retail locations of McGinn's PistachioLand as well as a pistachio farm in the Alamogordo area.

Cristina Carreon can be reached at ccarreon@alamogordonews.com, 575-437-7120 or on Twitter @Cris_carreon90