MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A southwest Miami-Dade woman is facing multiple felony charges after authorities say she embezzled more than $615,000 from her employer over a three-year period.
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Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said Vanessa Arochena, 40, was arrested Wednesday following an investigation that revealed she allegedly manipulated payroll systems while working as a bookkeeper for Weathermakers Air Conditioning Contractors, Inc.
Investigators say Arochena was hired by the company in November 2021 and given exclusive access to its financial software platforms.
They said her responsibilities included handling “accounts payable and receivable, purchasing and payroll activities.”
Within her role, Arochena was “entrusted with a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the company,” according to her arrest report.
However, between January 2022 and January 30, 2025, Arochena “fraudulently misappropriated funds by paying herself additional monies each pay period without consent from the victim,” the report stated.
Detectives say subpoenaed bank records from Arochena’s financial institutions confirmed the unauthorized payments, which were used for personal gain.
Authorities described the actions as part of an “organized scheme” to defraud the company.
Arochena was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday at an office building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables, according to investigators.
They said she was later transported to the Coral Gables Police Department for questioning but invoked her Miranda rights and declined to speak with investigators.
Jail records show she is facing one count each of organized fraud of $50,000 or more, first-degree grand theft, false entry on corporate books, and embezzle or make an unlawful payment of commissions.
As of Thursday, she was being held on a $33,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
