A 54-year-old woman is accused of a multi-year fraud scheme involving a condominium association in The Hammocks.
Ivonne Leon was an administrative assistant for Courtesy Property Management, responsible for collecting payments from residents and depositing them into the Royal Palm Place Condominium Association's accounts, an arrest report stated.
“I realized it because when I requested the return back for my tenant to get the [security] deposit back I couldn't get it because they didn’t have the money,” said homeowner Jennifer Rodriguez.
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Police said Leon deposited the money to her personal account over the course of three years, after altering checks originally made payable to the association.
"I don’t know if she got it without the name and then in front of them used an erasable ink of some sort, but that's part of the investigation of the police. We saw the before and after. She let it to the point where a copy is made with name of the association and then later she'd change it,” said Reinaldo Castellanos, the attorney representing Royal Palm Place Association.
Investigators found $55,810 of the association's money had been deposited into Leon's account, which she reportedly spent on her personal needs.
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Leon was taken into custody. She faces several charges including organized fraud of $50,000 or more, second-degree grand theft and uttering forged instruments.
“Justice is served because it's not right what they did,” Rodriguez said.
Courtesy Property Management said in a statement Tuesday that Leon was relieved of her duties and that they are cooperating with law enforcement throughout the investigation. The company said it upgraded to new technology to safeguard its financial processes and to a direct transfer system that automatically deposits residents' payments to the condominium.
"We remain committed to transparency and the security of our residents’ investments," the statement said in part. "The trust you place in us is paramount, and we are dedicated to maintaining and strengthening that trust through continuous improvement of our operations and services."
Leon appeared in bond court on Tuesday, where the judge set her bail at $7,500.
