Kearny's newly hired town manager resigned less than two weeks into the job after residents discovered he was facing felony embezzlement and insurance fraud charges in California. Carl Frank Alameda, 46, had been set to start work in the small Arizona copper town on October 22, but his tenure unraveled within days once word of his criminal case spread through the community.
According to a statement from the Town of Kearny, republished by Copper Area News Publishers, officials learned on October 27 through a resident's Facebook post linking to news articles that Alameda faced felony charges in California. The next day, Mayor Curtis Stacy met with Alameda and confirmed he was indeed the defendant named in the California case, the town said. Kearny placed him on paid leave while it sorted out what to do next.
The charges stem from Alameda's prior work as assistant city manager of La Cañada Flintridge, California. As reported by azcentral.com, he was charged in May 2025 on suspicion of embezzling $193,086 from that city, and he pleaded not guilty on May 14, 2025, to 11 felony counts of embezzlement and 23 counts of insurance fraud. The charges relate to his work for the California city.
How the Alleged Scheme Worked
Prosecutors allege Alameda mailed insurance reimbursement demands to companies using La Cañada Flintridge city letterhead, with the conduct stretching from 2016 through 2022, per the same account from azcentral. He allegedly falsified invoices tied to those reimbursement claims and asked that insurance payments be routed to an address he provided himself. He deposited insurance checks issued to the city, prosecutors alleged, according to the station's report.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, which brought the charges, has said Alameda could face up to 33 years in prison if convicted, the article notes. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 7, 2027, according to court records cited in the same report. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and Alameda has pleaded not guilty to every count.
Resignation Accepted October 29
Azcentral reported, citing town records, that the council unanimously accepted Alameda's resignation as town manager on October 29.
Kearny officials have been quick to stress that Alameda never got his hands on town finances. The town said in its statement that he was never given access to town bank accounts or financial information, nor did he participate in any town policy decisions. Officials also said a background check conducted by the police department turned up nothing negative, per azcentral's reporting.
Gaps in the Hiring Process
The town's statement also acknowledged a troubling detail about how Alameda got the job in the first place: he did not provide his full name or Social Security number on his employment application, according to the town. Kearny said separately that Alameda's experience and education exceeded the town's requirements, which is part of what made him an appealing hire after the town began its search for a new manager back in May 2026.
Kearny, a town of about 85 miles east of Phoenix along State Highway 177, incorporated in 1959, said it now plans a full review of its hiring practices and a root-cause analysis of the episode, with revised policies meant to prevent a repeat. PinalCentral additionally reported that the town plans to hold public work sessions to discuss possible changes to its hiring process.
Ripples Back in California
Kearny is not the only local government grappling with the fallout from Alameda's alleged conduct. In Ojai, California, where Alameda had also worked, the city terminated him effective May 16, 2025, and said at the time that it had initiated a special audit to ensure that all financial transactions had been conducted appropriately, according to Ojai Local Hero. The Ojai City Council went further, contracting with the Kroll Financial Advisory firm to conduct a forensic review of the city's finances, as reported by the Ojai Valley News.
For now, Kearny is left trying to explain how a man facing 11 felony counts and 23 insurance fraud counts in another state nearly took the reins of its town government, and promising residents a closer look at how such a hire could have happened at all.
