By KATIE MARTIRE
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A Guymon couple was arrested for allegedly participating in the conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses. Lorena Torres Jordan Ochoa, 37, and Juan Manuel Torres, 41, allegedly obtained $31,434 from around January 15, 2007 to around June of 2009. According to an affidavit for probable cause filed at the Texas County Court Clerk's Office, a representative for Sure Finance called the Guymon Police Department for an embezzlement on June 22. The representative alleged that the manager of the company had been signing checks from Sure Finance in her name and in her husband's name under other customers accounts. The Sure Finance representative handed the Officer paperwork on loan numbers and names that the transactions took place under. The representative informed the Officer that approximately $51,212 had been stolen in all, he then advised that his company has gone back through their paperwork and discovered this has been going on since 2007. Lorena was escorted to the GPD to speak with Officers concerning the embezzlement. She advised the Officers of her duties at Sure Finance which is collecting money from clients with loans, calls and speaks with them over the phone, at times goes to residences to obtain payments and gave out loans. When asked about the questionable paperwork over the last two years and why checks were made out to her husband Juan, she said that at times customers will not be able to cash a check due to them not having proper identification, so they would help that person out by signing their names on the check and cash the check for the customers. The Officer then advised Lorena that the he was looking at the loans that were already pulled, meaning loans that had been paid off and that there was a check written to her husband Juan, the Officer told her this seemed weird, Lorena agreed. She then told the Officer she had been writing out checks to her husband, he'd cash the checks and give the cash back to her. She then said she would use the money to pay off other loans to different customers. Lorena allegedly explained that she would make contact with customers and those customers would be in to pay on their account. She explained this was done to make Sure Finance look good, make quotas and get bonuses. Lorena advised she did use some of the money to pay her own bills and was unaware the total was up to $50,000. Lorena was fired from Sure Finance as a result of all of this. Lorena is being tried on 12 felony counts: one count of felony value-false pretense/bogus checks/con game; one count conspiracy to commit felony value-false pretense/bogus check/con game; five felony counts of obtaining money under false pretenses, and five felony counts of conspiracy to commit obtaining money under false pretenses. Juan Manuel Torres is being tried on six felony counts: Felony value-false pretense/bogus checks/con game; one felony count of Conspiracy to commit a felony value-false pretenses/bogus check/con game; two felony counts of obtaining money under false pretenses; and two felony counts of conspiracy to commit obtaining money under false pretenses. Juan was released from the Texas County Detention Center on June 23 on a $25,000 bond and Lorena was released on June 22 on a $25,000 bond. Both are awaiting trial.
TRAVIS RUIZ/The GDH Walmart Associates applaud as Walmart gave over $4000 in grants to local organizations and events.
By TRAVIS RUIZ
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Businesses normally take your money, but this time, one local business is giving back to the community it calls home. As part of the Walmart Foundation, Guymon's SuperCenter generously donated over $4000 to local organizations and events. "We are happy to be able to give back the community," said Amy Green, Walmart Assistant Manager, "This is what it's all about." The Wal-Mart Foundation strives to provide opportunities that improve the lives of individuals in its local communities. Receiving grants on Thursday were the Guymon High School Track and Cross Country Teams ($1000), the City of Guymon Freedomfest Celebration ($1000), the American Cancer Society ($1500) and the Texas Co. Sheriff's Department ($1000). Coach Andy Brown of Guymon High School explained that the money being donated to his program would go directly toward new uniforms. "We haven't gotten new uniforms since 2000 or 2001," he said. "We really needed them. Thank you." The City of Guymon received the grant to help fund its Freedomfest Celebration which takes place tomorrow, July Fourth. The Sheriff's Department is using the grant to purchase new digital cameras for each officer. Sheriff Caddell explained that these were needed and will prove to be extremely beneficial out in the field at crime scenes. The American Cancer Society also received a grant. $1500 from Walmart will be going toward cancer research. Walmart has a committee that decides exactly who gets the grants.
