A southwest Miami-Dade woman is facing several felony charges after allegedly stealing more than $615,000 from her employer over a three-year period.
Vanessa Arochena, 40, was arrested Wednesday after an investigation found she allegedly altered payroll systems while working as a bookkeeper for Weathermakers Air Conditioning Contractors, Inc.
Investigators believe the corporation employed Arochena in November 2021 and granted her exclusive access to its financial software platforms.
Investigators stated that her responsibilities encompassed “accounts payable and receivable, purchasing, and payroll activities.”
The arrest report states that the company entrusted Arochena with a fiduciary responsibility to act in its best interest.
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,” according to the investigation.
Detectives said that subpoenaed bank records from Arochena’s financial institutions verified the unlawful payments, which were utilized for personal advantage.
Authorities said the actions were part of an “organized scheme” to defraud the corporation.
Arochena was arrested without incident on Wednesday inside an office building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables, according to investigators.
They said she was later taken to the Coral Gables Police Department for questioning, but she invoked her Miranda rights and declined to speak with detectives.
According to jail records, she is charged with one count of organized fraud of $50,000 or more, first-degree grand theft, making a false entry on corporation books, and embezzling or unlawfully paying commissions.
As of Thursday, she was being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $33,000 bond.
