Overview

• CBI announced on Oct. 7 that Tyra Marie Avila, 47, was arrested and later released on a $15,000 bond after turning herself in.
• Investigators say money from federal loans and grants for an augmentation reservoir was commingled with the general fund and used for unauthorized personal transactions and other town expenses, leaving contractors unpaid.
• The charges include theft and cybercrime in the $20,000 to $100,000 range, embezzlement of public property, forgery, and fraud by check.
• Aguilar, a town of about 450 residents, received a $5.7 million USDA award in 2021 for the reservoir; construction began in December 2023 but the project remains incomplete and uncertified.
• CBI said the USDA Office of Inspector General and the Las Animas County Sheriff’s Office assisted the investigation, and the town created a dedicated project account with restricted access to prevent further misuse.