HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — A man who formerly worked as a manager at a Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill in Hallandale Beach is accused of stealing more than $33,000 from the restaurant earlier this year.

Jail records show Orlando Armin Villasmil Noriega, 37, was arrested Tuesday by the Hallandale Beach Police Department.

Police said Noriega worked as a manager at the South Florida chain’s location at 4 N. Federal Highway.

According to an arrest report, he was responsible for depositing the previous day’s cash revenue at a nearby Bank of America when he opened the business each morning.

Police said Noriega opened the restaurant on April 18 and removed deposits containing nearly $9,000 in revenue from the previous two days. Surveillance video showed him leaving the business with the money, according to the report.

The deposits were never received in the business’ Bank of America account, and the bank found no record of Noriega attempting to make the deposits, police said.

They said Noriega was again captured on surveillance video on April 19 removing a deposit bag containing just over $5,000. Police said he was not seen making a deposit at the bank.

From April 23 through April 26, Noriega worked as the closing manager and was responsible for preparing deposits and placing them in the business’ safe for the next day’s opening manager, according to investigators.

Deposits from those days, totaling more than $19,000, were never deposited, police said.

When questioned by police about what happened to the money, a witness told investigators that Noriega said the deposits were made at night, the report states.

Police said making nighttime deposits was not authorized at that Bank of America location and investigators were unable to locate surveillance video showing Noriega making the deposits.

They said Noriega was scheduled to work April 27 but called in sick and told the business he was “terminating his employment” with Flanigan’s. He reportedly said he was moving to North Carolina in May.

According to police, Noriega deprived the business of $33,091.06. The business is now seeking incarceration and restitution.

Records show Noriega is facing one count of grand theft of more than $20,000 but less than $100,000.

As of Wednesday morning, he was no longer listed as an inmate in Broward County jail records.

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