Woman suspected of stealing from Tonopah High rodeo club’s bank account

A 55-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of stealing money from a Nye County high school rodeo club’s bank account and spending the money on herself, according to the Nye County sheriff’s office.

Jeanne Metzger is facing a charge of felony embezzlement after making several withdrawals from the Tonopah High School Rodeo Club’s bank account over the past year, according to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office on Saturday.

The amount totaled between $1,200 and $5,000, according to estimates from the sheriff’s office.

According to the sheriff’s office, Metzger, when confronted by the club’s secretary, said her daughter “probably grabbed the wrong card and she would pay it back.”

The sheriff’s office said this happened in December but since that discussion no “attempts for payback have been made.”

Metzger was arrested and booked into the Nye County Detention Center.

Metzger is the owner of Sagebrush Dreams Flowers & More in Tonopah. She studied at Whittier Law School, according to her Facebook page, and also works as a law clerk.

A message sent to Metzger on Facebook Wednesday seeking comments about the accusations against her was not immediately returned.

The arrest comes as rodeo club members are preparing for the annual junior and senior high school rodeo in Pahrump, which hosts students from Tonopah and beyond at McCullough Memorial Arena.

This is a developing story.

Brent Schanding contributed to this report.