SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. — A receptionist at the Trump International Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach is facing four felony charges for committing fraud on the job, according to police.
Sunny Isles Beach police said they began investigating Lukas Nicolas Varela Torres, 23, of Miami Beach, on June 10 after “hotel management reported irregularities involving guest payment transactions” at the property, located at 18001 Collins Ave.
“A review of hotel records, transaction histories and audit reports revealed a recurring pattern in which guests initially paid for lodging and related services in cash,” detectives wrote in an arrest report. “(A) subsequent review determined that (Varela) later voided, reversed, canceled, or otherwise modified those cash transactions within the hotel’s property management system and replaced them with card-based payments associated with (himself).”
According to police, “the hotel incurred credit card processing fees that would not have been charged had the original cash transactions remained unchanged,” costing the Trump resort more than $3,100.
Police are asking anyone approached by Varela about paying cash for services to contact him. In addition, they said they are looking into the credit card that was being used for these transactions.
Varela, arrested on Wednesday, now faces charges of grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, offenses against computer users and unlawful use of a communications device.
According to jail records, the Chilean national also has an immigration hold and remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday morning.
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