Corruption-directors

The president of the Georgian Court North Co-ops Condominiums in Fort Lauderdale has allegedly been paying himself tens of thousands of dollars out of the association funds.

A condo president buys himself a vehicle with condo funds and his board approves the purchase after the fact. Watch the video, (link above) as there is a lot more.

State investigation leads to Fort Lauderdale condo president’s arrest (Part 2)
Edward J. Ryan, 74, charged with 2nd-degree misdemeanor
WPLG - Miami
Bob Norman, Reporter
20 October 2014

A Fort Lauderdale condo president who has been paying himself tens of thousands of dollars from association funds for years has been criminally charged with managing a condo association without a license, according to court records.

The state attorney's office charged Edward J. Ryan, 74, with the second-degree misdemeanor after a state investigation showed he received nearly $50,000 last year from the association.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation also found that Ryan, at one point, purchased a car in Michigan with association funds, altered condo records and violated board election rules at the Georgian Court North.

In a recent Local 10 News report, Ryan made an admission on the air that he was continuing to pay himself condo funds despite a state cease-and-desist letter. Resident Howard Kainer, who has been complaining about Ryan's leadership for 10 years, and was instrumental in sparking investigations, said he is grateful that authorities have finally charged Ryan.

"Edward J. Ryan discovered he can hide from the residents here at Georgian Court North, but he can't hide from the citizens of Broward County once your report aired," Kainer said to Local 10.

Yet Ryan, he said, is still running the condo board.

The misdemeanor charge is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and six months probation.

Condo president admits wrongdoing in court
(Part 3)
WPLG - Miami
Bob Norman, Reporter
Local 10 News investigative reporter Bob Norman is in court as the president of a Florida condo association admits that he had broken the law.

The penalities seem awful light for what he did.

Condo president admits wrongdoing in court after Local 10 investigation (Part 4)
ABC Local 10 news
24 April 2016
Watch the video. The criminal sentence was a joke. He has to return the car a do a few hours of community service. Hopefully the civil lawsuit will make him pay restitution.

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Offensive HOA President Accused of Abusing Association Funds
Ask Mr. Condo
30 October 2014

V.R. from Florida writes:
Dear Mister Condo,

Recently, I received a letter from a concerned neighbor that revealed some serious issues at our condo.

The HOA was dropped by both the auditor and Property Management Company

The HOA was dropped by both the auditor and Property Management Company due to concerns over internal controls. Included were copies of letters from each company terminating their services and citing concerns: use of debit card for many unexplained transactions ($12K unexplained ATM withdrawals, $6K debit card transactions at casinos in 2013), the board moved Reserve Funds to operating without approval, paying of invoices in cash – questions of related parties, HOA paying $80 a month for a safety deposit box, personal expenses of HOA president charged to operating expense.

I went to my first HOA meeting the day after receiving this letter and it was a complete circus. None of the questions of concern were answered.

The most persistent questioner was the former HOA president. The current president proceeded to slander him, claiming that he lost his job with the city by saying the “N” word (he actually said the word which causes quite a stir).

the HOA president rides around his golf cart wearing a bathrobe carrying his gun

The meeting broke up and I talked to some of the other residents (it is a big complex of 400+ units). The stories were outrageous: people who have confronted the president have had their tires slashed, the HOA president racked up $250K legal fees (paid for by the HOA) fighting a $5K fine due to late financials (I’m thinking the accountant had a lot of questions), the HOA president rides around his golf cart wearing a bathrobe carrying his gun.

We have assigned parking spaces, recently they were repainted with numbers matching the unit numbers (potential security risk: easy to see who is not home). What would Mr. Condo do?

Mister Condo replies:
V.R., what a nightmare! For starters, I’d probably avert my eyes when the gun-toting, bathrobe-wearing, president drove by in his golf cart. Yuck! On a more serious note, you have a series of serious issues to contend with and while the image of the HOA president you have portrayed is humorous to the point of being cartoonish, I can assure you that theft of association funds, impropriety of governance, and the potential loss to your association is no laughing matter.

I am not an attorney, so please consider my advice as friendly and not legal. For legal advice you will want to contact a local attorney, which I strongly suggest you do. This Board president needs to go and there are proper procedures for recalling him from the Board and then following up with civil and criminal charges if association funds have been stolen, which it sounds like they have.

Your condo documents outline the procedure for recalling a Board member. Generally speaking, the unit owners are called together for a special meeting to recall the Board member, in this case, the HOA president. Once he is voted off the Board, it is important that all access he has to association funds is immediately revoked. Certainly, if he is the one with the ATM card making withdrawals, you will want to make sure that ATM card is voided.

Since the Property Management firm has washed their hands of the association’s business, this will require the remaining Board members to work with the bank(s) directly. Again, a qualified attorney is your best option to run you through these steps to assure as smooth a procedure as possible.

Stealing money from an association is a serious crime and is punishable by fines, repayment of stolen funds, and/or jail time. Once again, a qualified attorney will be the association’s best friend when it comes to handling these charges properly.

Once the HOA president is out of office, he won’t have the association’s funds to bolster his defense. Have the attorney draw up proper charges and file with the court and/or local authorities if an arrest is warranted. The courts are designed to get to the bottom of a mess like this and it sounds like there is plenty of forensic evidence to prove the wrongdoings of the Board president.

Finally, it’s time to get your HOA back on track. I find it hard to believe that this president was elected to serve on the Board and then elected to the office of president of the Board by his fellow Board members. This is a wake-up call to association members to nominate and elect better people to serve on the Board and watch over their finances and governance.

You’ve outlined $18,000 in possible misappropriated funds. The amount in question is paltry compared to the potential money this person had access to and could have stolen.

Volunteers who serve on Boards are elected by their fellow HOA members. Did the power corrupt this person so badly that he behaved this way only after he was in office? Or is the community struggling to find qualified leaders from within its membership? Either way, I would suggest that a Nominating Committee may be in order for your HOA.

Applicants for office need to be screened for potential problems before they serve. Also, the rest of the Board members need to be much more selective in deciding who will lead the Board as president.

Your state has laws requiring that Board members receive training and certification shortly after being elected. Make sure all of your Board members are certified. This is exactly the type of behavior that training and certification are designed to curtail. All the best!

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Ex-HOA official Vicki Yancey, wife of BHS coach, arrested on larceny
Ocala.com
By Austin L. Miller Staff writer
17 July 2015

Vicki Ann Yancey, 56, was arrested at her Ocala home by Marion County Sheriff's Office Detective Brandon Spillman and charged with larceny.

Yancey is the wife of Belleview High School football coach Phillip Yancey.

$28,772.85 from the HOA account.

Officials with the Deer Path Homeowners Association said that, according to their audit, Vicki Yancey took a total of $28,772.85 from the HOA account. The HOA president told Spillman she was the association's treasurer from 2002 until August 2014. He said she was not authorized to take money without the knowledge or consent of the board of directors and was the only person who had access to the account, Spillman's report states.

According to the report, a deputy went to the Deer Path subdivision at 6853 SE 11th Place on Jan. 2 in reference to a report about the theft, which was discovered after an audit on the association's finances was done.

The HOA president told Spillman that in January 2014 they decided to do a periodic audit of finances and asked Yancey to provide documentation to the board. She did not attend that meeting, nor other meetings arranged by board members. She resigned in August, the report states.

After her resignation, a special audit committee discovered that Yancey had made numerous ATM withdrawals, purchases at restaurants and other businesses, and had written checks to family members using money from the HOA account, the report states.

the HOA account was depleted

It also was discovered that in August 2011 the HOA account was depleted and the bank had closed the account. Yancey opened a new account a week later, Spillman noted in his report.

Examining bank statements from July 2010 to August 2014, Spillman noted that Yancey made purchases at department stores and restaurants, paid her cellphone bill, bought items from online stores, paid her light bill, removed money from an ATM machine and wrote checks to family members, all with HOA funds.

Before Yancey resigned, she deposited three checks into the HOA account. One for $1,000 in June, one for $3,000 in July and a third in August, for $13,000, from her husband's bank account, the report states.

Spillman talked with Phillip Yancey about the large sum and he said he gave the money to his wife because she told him she needed it to give to her sister, who had cancer.

When Spillman attempted to interview Vicki Yancey, she asked for her attorney. She was booked at the Marion County Jail at 10:40 a.m. Friday and released from the jail shortly before 3 p.m. on $10,000 bond. She does not have a criminal history, according to court documents.

Vicki and Phillip Yancey both declined requests for comment.

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Criminal complaints ﬁled in condo catastrophe
Local10.com
Bob Norman
06 August 2015

When you walk into Peter and Debbie Orlowsky's home, it seems a perfectly fine condo, until you look outside and see the balcony to nowhere. It's just a slab of concrete jutting from the building with no railing six stories above the parking lot.

It's one of dozens of condos at Jade Winds in North Miami Beach that have unusable sealed-off balconies for years, and it's just the beginning. The place seems to be going to seed, with large cracks in some buildings, a general state of disrepair, and the historic office tower that has been the pride and joy of the community empty and condemned from neglect and failure to pay rent. Recently, the condo association filed for bankruptcy in federal court claiming more than $1.5 million in debt.

"They ran it down to the ground," said Debbie Orlowsky. "It's all full of mold because they didn't pay the rent there. We're bankrupt. I don't know what we're going to do. There's people here with children, and there's families. There's 916 apartments here and they didn't care. They had no heart, no soul."

Former Broward Sheriff's Office Deputy Santiago Perez now lives in a $630,000 home in Boca Raton.

Orlowsky is referring to former board president and former Broward Sheriff's Office Deputy Santiago Perez, his wife Revital Sharony and former condo manager Donna Mantin, whom current board members claim drove the condo into bankruptcy. Criminal complaints have been filed against them alleging that hundreds of thousands of dollars in controversial all-cash parking fees levied on guests that were collected under their leadership have vanished.

"There wasn't deposits made into the bank," said Peter Orlowsky, a member of the board who filed a criminal complaint in the case.

Records also show that at the end of Perez's time as president last fall, he began writing large checks on the Jade Winds account to cash, adding up to more than $800,000. Perez claimed to pay major condo bills with the money, but now the board is facing the difficult task of trying to account for all the money. In a statement to Local 10 News, BB&T Vice President David White confirmed the bank was conducting an internal investigation into what he called a "very unfortunate situation for all those involved."

When Santiago and Mantin left their positions last fall, board members were able to obtain emails and credit card statements of Sharony, Perez's wife, who is a former Margate police officer. What they found shocked them. The credit card bills, according to criminal complaints, showed that more than $170,000 had been deposited into Sharony's account in an 11-month period, indicating a lavish lifestyle some board members believed couldn't be sustained by two retired police officers. Nearly $20,000 in cash was deposited in the account in one 12-day period, the billings show.

$60,000 paid in dental bills

Also in those credit card billings was nearly $60,000 paid in dental bills apparently not for Sharony or Perez, but for Donna Mantin, the condo manager who at the time was employed by FirstService Residential. The emails showed that Sharony was representing Mantin in negotiations with the Gentle Dental Group of Pembroke Pines over the billings.

"I'd like to resolve this so Donna's treatment can resume, since her condition is deteriorating due to this delay and it is urgent that she receives care," Sharony wrote to the dental office.

In another email, the dental office manager complains to Mantin that she has "been trying to reach Revi for weeks now since she take care of you finances to give both of you information on your account." These findings outraged several residents, one of whom confronted Mantin in a parking lot on videtape.

"Do you know how much damage you did?" the resident asked her. "Spending thousands of dollars for a dentist, getting your teeth fixed with our parking fees?"

While there may be a legitimate explanation for the large amount of money going through Sharony's credit card account and her payment of such a large sum of money on behalf of Mantin, it wasn't forthcoming. Mantin refused to speak to Local 10. Perez and Sharony moved out of their modest condo to buy a $630,000 home in a gated community in Boca Raton. When Local 10 investigative reporter Bob Norman caught up with Perez there, he shut the door without answering any questions that the residents at Jade Winds so badly want answered.

"I can't believe what they did to us," she said.

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Condo official’s illness starts probe that leads to grand theft, fraud charges
Sun Sentinel
07 January 2016
By Adam Sacasa

Martha Susan Coppock-Hughes, 58, of Palm Beach Gardens, was arrested Tuesday and faces fraud and grand theft charges. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)

A medical condition launched the discovery that led to accusations that a woman stole nearly $58,000 while treasurer of a Palm Beach Gardens homeowners association.

Martha Susan Coppock-Hughes, 58, of Palm Beach Gardens, was arrested Tuesday and is facing fraud and grand theft charges.

After the Royal Point Manor East Condo Association held its annual meeting in January 2015, the association collected dues from its 18 members, as usual, for several months.

But in May, Coppock-Hughes suffered a stroke, causing other members of the HOA to pick up her duties. When they did, they discovered she was missing a check to pay her fees, according to a Palm Beach Gardens police arrest report.

she hadn't paid maintenance fees for ten years “because of all the work I was doing”

Coppock-Hughes explained to former HOA president Brigitte Mathews that she hadn't paid maintenance fees for ten years because of "all the work I was doing," the report quoted her as saying.

When other condo association members checked up on the work, they found the dry vents she claimed to have cleaned were dirty, trees she said were cut were not, among other discrepancies, according to the report.

With Coppock-Hughes in the hospital, the HOA president, Eric Poola and Vice President Denise Hindle added themselves to the HOA's bank account to collect maintenance fees. That's when they discovered checks going to a dance clothing store owned by Coppock-Hughes, the members told detectives.

When confronted by association members at her store in May, the report said, Coppock-Hughes promised to drop off her treasury and association records. Instead, she sent an email the following month resigning her post citing health reasons.

62 suspicious checks totaling 57,402.22

Detectives went through the HOA's records and said they found 62 suspicious checks totaling 57,402.22 that were either cashed out to Coppock-Hughes or going to her store.

Some of the checks had the names of people who did work for the condo association in the memo section, but when a detective talked with those people, they said they never received any money, according to the report.

Coppock-Hughes told investigators she used the money to help fund her business and support her family after hurricanes struck in 2005, according to the report.

Efforts to reach Coppock-Hughes and members of the HOA for comment were unsuccessful.

She was booked into Palm Beach County Jail and released Wednesday after posting $20,000 bond.

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Mother, son arrested for stealing from HOA in Polk
Tampa Tribune
19 February 2016

A Lakeland woman and her son were arrested Friday after an investigation revealed they stole more than $122,000 from the Cimarron Homeowners Association from 2004 through 2015, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said.

Martha Beard, 59, and her son, Matthew Beard, 32, were booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with one count each of grand theft and fraud. They remain on $30,000 bond ($15,000 bond for each charge).

According to their affidavits, Martha Beard was appointed treasurer of the Cimarron HOA in 2003. She had sole custody of the HOA’s debit card and checks its bank account and was responsible for making payments to various businesses on behalf of the HOA. In 2015 she was dismissed as treasurer, after the other board members discovered a $27,000 deficit to the HOA lawn care provider, and responded to TD Bank and found there was less than $50 in the Cimarron HOA account, deputies said.

The deficit was previously undiscovered because Martha had falsified documents showing payments to various businesses. The board members were alerted to the deficit by the lawn care provider and contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they collected evidence that showed Martha and Matthew Bears used the HOA debit card to make multiple items such as food, clothing, mattresses and rental vehicles. Additionally, Matthew is listed as owner of a business called “Ultra Production Group,” and in 2015 he used the HOA debit card to purchase equipment, vehicles, and signage after he was hired by Lakeland Regional Medical Center to work their “Promise Run” charity event, deputies said. He also booked a cruise with the card, deputies said.

Both Martha and Matthew Beard confessed to using the HOA funds without permission, deputies said. Martha Beard told detectives that for 11 years she attempted to put money back into the account. Detectives found evidence that she made four separate deposits into the account, totaling $12,622.00. Detectives calculated the total amount of funds stolen by Martha and Matthew Beard equaled $122,779.47.

Update
Mother and son stole nearly $123,000 from Lakeland homeowners' association
News Chief
By Suzie Schottelkotte
19 January 2016

BARTOW - Martha Beard, 60, and her son, Matthew Beard, 33, each face up to 30 years in prison on charges they stole an estimated $122,780 from their community's homeowners' association over an 11-year span.

Martha Beard pleaded guilty to grand theft of more than $100,000 and scheme to defraud, and her son pleaded no contest to the same two charges. By pleading no contest, Beard is not admitting guilt, but is not contesting the charges.

Since neither has a plea agreement, Circuit Judge Wayne Durden will decide what punishment they will serve. Sentencing has been set for March 17.

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Homeowners’ association treasurer gets 3 years for stealing $122,779
News Chief
By Suzie Schottelkotte
17 March 2017

Photo: By Suzie Schottelkotte

BARTOW — The 60-year-old former treasurer of Cimarron Homeowners Association near Medulla was sentenced to three years in prison Friday for stealing $122,779 from the group over an 11-year span.

Martha Beard, who still lives in the 72-home community, told Circuit Judge Wayne Durden during Friday's hearing that she had intended to pay the money back, but the debt became too great.

"This was a major error in judgment on my part," she said, "and I take full responsibility."

Her son, 33-year-old Matthew Beard, a freelance sound technician for entertainment venues, was sentenced to two years in prison Friday for his role in the theft. His mother allowed him to use the association's debit card, as well, piling up about $20,000 of the total that was taken.

They did repay $12,622 in four deposits before the theft was discovered. Including that money, they stole a total $135,400.

Both apologized to homeowners in the courtroom Friday, and Durden said he believed their remorse to be sincere. He also said he recognized the association's need to get the $122,779 back through restitution.

But that need paled, he said, when balanced against the ongoing theft.

"I don't think the need for restitution outweighs the need for punishment," he said.

Daniel Santangelo, president of Cimarron Homeowners Association, said he agreed with Durden's assessment.

"There are a lot of angry people," he said.

When asked what punishment they would like to see, he said they'd want the maximum sentence. The common areas in the community have fallen into disrepair because there wasn't money to fix them, he said, but the association is beginning to recover financially.

Billie Wheeler, the association's vice president, said the homeowners feel betrayed.

"The money would be nice," she said, "but they want jail."

In January, Martha Beard pleaded guilty to grand theft and scheme to defraud, and her son pleaded no contest to identical charges. By pleading no contest, he didn't admit guilt, but chose not to contest the allegations.

Neither of them had a plea agreement with prosecutors, which left them facing up to 30 years in prison.

State sentencing guidelines called for each to receive 21 months in prison.

In addition to the prison time, Durden imposed 20 years' probation on Martha Beard and 10 years' probation on her son. One of the conditions for probation is that they make regular payments to the homeowners' association.

The missing money came to light in August 2015 when the association's lawn care service reported the association owed about $29,000.

the account held $39

Santangelo said they checked the association's bank records that day, which should have reflected a balance of about $20,000. Instead, the account held $39, he said Friday.

When questioned by Polk County Sheriff's detectives, Martha Beard confessed, according to reports, saying she had been laid off and needed the money for living expenses.

During Friday's hearing, Anne Gonzalez, the association's secretary who said Martha Beard had been her friend, said Beard had inherited some money when her mother died about four years ago.

My neighbors want the maximum sentence

"At that point, she got a brand new kitchen," Gonzalez said. "She had a nice sum of money and she chose not to pay (the association) at that time. My neighbors want the maximum sentence."

Martha Beard's privately retained lawyer, J. Armando Edmiston of Tampa, argued that her health would make prison difficult for her, and her time would be better spent working her job as a dispatcher for a technology repair service, earning money toward her restitution.

Tampa lawyer Thomas Grajek, representing Matthew Beard, posed a similar argument regarding restitution.

But Assistant State Attorney Michael Hrdlicka asked the two defendants how much they have put aside toward restitution, and when they said there was nothing, he questioned their ability to come up with the money going forward.

"This idea that they can pay restitution in the future is simply that – an idea," he said. "It's not something the court can rely upon."

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Palm Bay Condo President Charged With Scheme To Defraud
Brevard Times
03 February 2016

PALM BAY, Florida – Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Guillermo Angel Alonso, 53, the former president and property manager of the Palm Bay Club Condominiums (PBCC) Home Owners Association. Alonso is charged with organized scheme to defraud, with a total value of more than $275,000 between August 2010 and June 2014. Alonso had been the property manager and president of PBCC for approximately six years.

FDLE began its investigation in February 2015 at the request of the Palm Bay Police Department after they received complaints from the current HOA president and treasurer about HOA expenditures by Alonso.

Investigators say that Alonso used funds collected by the HOA for his personal benefit, frequently using the PBCC HOA account to pay for renovations to his personal property such as new floors and a greenhouse, as well as purchases from fast food restaurants. Additionally, Alonso allegedly withdrew funds from the account to pay for projects that were never completed.

Alonso hired “Klean Power Electric Inc.” a company he owned, to manage the PBCC property. Multiple checks written to Klean Power Electric were transferred from the business account to Alonso’s personal account, though no work can be verified, investigators say.

During his tenure, Alonso maintained control of the PBCC checkbook and his was the only signature needed to write checks or withdraw funds from the account. He also had an ATM card issued to him on the account and changed the mailing address for the statements to his residence, ensuring he was the only one who would see the purchases or withdrawals.

Alonso was booked into Brevard County Jail and has a $250,000 bond. This case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit.

—30—

Lessons to be learnt
Just about every procedure to detect and prevent fraud was missing.

1.	Alonso was the property manager and president of the condo.
2.	Alonso hired a company he owned to manage the condo.
3.	Multiple cheques written to his property management company were transferred from the business account to Alonso’s personal account.
4.	Alonso maintained control of the condo's cheque book and his was the only signature needed to write cheques or withdraw funds from the condo's account.
5.	He also had an ATM card issued to him on the account and changed the mailing address for the statements to his residence, ensuring he was the only one who would see the purchases or withdrawals.
6.	What was the old treasurer and the other directors doing when he was running amok? Did they never ask to see the bank statements?
7.	Why was there only one signature—his—on the cheques he wrote?
7.	Was there no audited annual financial statements?

It would be interesting to know why he lost his position as president and what made the owners/directors wake up.

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Ex-HOA treasurer in north Forsyth pleads guilty
to theft
Forsyth County News
By Kayla Robins
06 May 2015

NORTH FORSYTH — The former treasurer of a north Forsyth homeowners association will spend two to three months in custody after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from the neighborhood bank account.

Elizabeth Mills Wilson, 32, negotiated a plea for withdrawing about $40,000 over an 18-month span, according to Forsyth County Superior Court documents.

The account had been liquidated down to about $1,000 when the HOA president, Clint Smith, discovered a landscaping company had not been paid for work in The Manor at Harmon Lake.

Wilson was ordered to serve 60 to 90 days in the State Probation Detention Center and likely will be allowed to spend the remaining length of her sentence on probation, according to court documents.

Super Court Judge Phillip C. Smith also has ordered Wilson to pay $3,348 in restitution to The Manor’s HOA within 24 hours of her April 16 sentencing.

According to authorities, she had reportedly paid back about 80 percent of the missing money since September, when residents voted to press charges. She was arrested in early December.

Initial reports from the sheriff’s office indicated she had taken $38,686 for reasons not immediately known, though a Manor resident who audited the HOA’s account said that figure was closer to $43,000.

Despite some public misconceptions, Wilson is not a blood relative of current Forsyth County Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills; they were connected only through the official’s ex-husband.

Commissioner Mills has said there’s frequent confusion that stems from the fact that she and Wilson’s mother have the same first name.

Elizabeth Mills Wilson must also complete 120 hours of community service within one year of her sentencing and must pay monthly probation supervision fees, according to court documents.

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Former treasurer stole over $51K from homeowners association, police say
Sun Sentinel
By: Kate Jacobson
13 May 2016

Former Boynton Beach homeowners association treasurer is accused of embezzling $51,000 in part, authorities said, to pay the mortgage on his house that allowed him to maintain his position with the association.

Norman Glavas, 69, was arrested on Wednesday.

Boynton Beach police said they got a call in May 2015 from Quail Run Association President MaryLou Hagerty about a former treasurer suspected of stealing money.

Hagerty told police once she and a few others were elected in November 2014 to the homeowners association at Quail Run, near Woolbright Road and South Congress Avenue, they noticed a discrepancy in the bank accounts.

Between February 2013 to October 2014, 12 checks were cashed by Glavas with no records as to what the funds were used for.

In total, he wrote $51,542.59 out to himself, according to the arrest report.

he worked hard and deserved to be compensated

Hagerty told detectives she approached Glavas about the issue, and he said he wrote the checks out to himself. According to the arrest report, he told Hagerty that he worked hard and deserved to be compensated.

In the association's bylaws, police said, it "clearly states" that board membership is a voluntary, non-paying position.

Hagerty also told detectives when she confronted Glavas, he offered to pay back what he had stolen and write a letter admitting he had stolen money.

A few days after this conversation, according to the report, Hagerty told detectives he emailed her saying he wouldn't write the letter and that he couldn't pay her back. She called the police.

Police said they obtained records that showed Glavas wrote checks out to himself from the association's bank account, and then placed the funds in three separate accounts to try and conceal the money.

Jail records show Glavas is now living in Royal Palm Beach.

Glavas is charged with grand theft over $20,000, organized fraud and money laundering.

He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $13,000 bail.

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Ex-Boynton Beach HOA treasurer admits to embezzling over $50,000
By: Conner Mitchell
07 Wednesday 2017

A former treasurer of a Boynton Beach homeowner’s association admitted Tuesday that he embezzled over $50,000 from the HOA, court records show.

10 months in jail, 70 months of probation and repay $48,179.26 in restitution

Norman Glavas, 70, of Boynton Beach, pleaded guilty to one charge of grand theft over $20,000 and will serve 10 months in jail, 70 months of probation and repay $48,179.26 in restitution to the Quail Run Homeowner Association. Glavas committed the crime from 2012 to 2014.

According to his plea agreement, Glavas will return $31,000 to the association immediately in a lump sum payment through a trust controlled by his attorney. He will make $300 payments monthly to pay back the remaining amount after completing his jail sentence, and must remain employed until the entirety of the restitution is paid.

required to serve 250 hours of community service and pay $250 in court fees

He also is required to serve 250 hours of community service and pay $250 in court fees.

Glavas was first arrested in May 2016 on charges of organized fraud, money laundering and grand theft. An arrest report shows that as treasurer of the homeowner association, Glavas made checks out to himself from the association’s funds.

He deposited 16 checks totaling $51,542.59 into three different bank accounts, perhaps attempting to conceal the illegal activity, police said.

A member of the homeowner association board noticed discrepancies in how several checks were logged and confronted Glavas, according to the arrest report. At first, he said the checks were for legal fees, but later told the board member he laundered the money and asked them not to call the police.

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Ex-official who stole from Tamarac homeowners association gets prison sentence
Sun Sentinel
By Erika Pesantes
17 August 2016

Broward Sheriff's Office

Former homeowners association president in Tamarac has been sentenced to prison for embezzling more than $180,000 from her community.

five years in prison

Court records show that Michelle Changar-Coe, 46, changed her plea to guilty on a grand theft charge and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by 15 years of probation. She also was ordered to pay $192,416 in restitution during a court hearing Tuesday.

Changar-Coe was president of the Mainlands Section 7 homeowners association from January 2009 through December 2013 and forged signatures on dozens of checks she deposited into her personal bank account, authorities said.

A letter filed in court in January from Maureen Utich, a Mainlands resident, spoke of her wishes for prosecution of the crime and said more than 200 people in her community had suffered from Changar-Coe's actions.

She has caused hardship for many of her victims

"She has caused hardship for many of her victims. Families with children, elderly on fixed incomes, laid off and unemployed people struggling to pay their bills," she wrote. "She stole from all of us."

About a half dozen residents echoed her sentiments in letters to Broward Circuit Judge Michael Rothschild.

Changar-Coe's attorney, Michael Gottlieb, said his client has two young children and stole from her community at a time when her husband had lost his job due to an injury and she was a pregnant stay-at-home mom.

"She engaged in this conduct at a point in time when her family was suffering a great financial tragedy and she made a foolish decision stealing from her association," he said. "I know she regrets it. She's remorseful."

guilty to charges of grand theft in 1997

Court records show that Changar-Coe pleaded guilty to charges of grand theft and uttering a forged instrument in 1997. At the time, the judge withheld adjudication, meaning there was no conviction on her criminal record, and she was given three years of probation. She also was ordered to pay about $4,500 in restitution.

Former Lantana HOA president accused of stealing more than $300,000
Palm Beach Post
By Julius Whigham II
17 November 2016

LANTANA — The former president of a Lantana homeowners association was arrested Wednesday for allegedly misappropriating more than $300,000 from its accounts to pay his personal expenses.

William J. Cox Jr., 61, is facing one count of organized scheme to defraud and grand theft over $100,000. Authorities say Cox and another person stole an estimated $339,507.69 from the Lantana Homes Homeowners Association. A probable-cause arrest affidavit did not disclose the identity of Cox’s alleged accomplice.

Cox was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on Wednesday after posting $20,000 bail. He reportedly was the HOA president for 12 years for Lantana Homes, a single-family home community near Lantana Road and east of Jog Road.

Palm Beach County sheriff’s investigators say the alleged theft of funds occurred between September 2011 and March 2015, when Cox’s tenure as president ended.

William J. Cox Jr

An investigation was started in September 2015 when the new HOA president reported discrepancies in the community association’s financial records.

a trash removal and cleaning company created by Cox

The alleged discrepancies included checks listed as payments to one place that were actually written to a trash removal and cleaning company created by Cox. He also used HOA funds to pay personal expenses, including his homeowner’s and car insurance policies, the sheriff’s office said in its report.

The HOA’s board reportedly approved of paying Cox’s entire electric bill because he stored equipment — including computers, a postage machine and folding machine — at his home due to the HOA not having an office. The agreement was later revised so that the community association would pay two-thirds of the Cox’s electric bill, the sheriff’s office said.

However, Cox continued to use HOA funds to pay the entire bill, the current president told sheriff’s investigators. In August, he was interviewed by a detective from the sheriff’s office’s financial crime unit. He denied taking any money from the HOA and said the only money he received was for services performed by his trash-collection company, the affidavit said.

He told deputies that the current HOA president had worked for him as a subcontractor and alleged that she started spreading false statements about him after he fired her.

Members of the HOA board confirmed that there was no agreement to pay for Cox’s personal expenses, the sheriff’s office said.

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Sheriff’s office worker and husband accused of grand theft from Lantana homeowner’s group
Sun Sentential
16 November 2016

Husband and wife from Lake Worth, who are former leaders of the Lantana Homes Homeowner's Association, are accused of using HOA money for their personal bills.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrested Darlene Jeannette Cox and her husband William Cox.

Both are facing charges of organized scheme to defraud of $50,000 and grand theft over $100,000.

Witnesses told investigators Darlene Cox worked as the treasurer of the Lantana Homes HOA. William Cox worked as its president for over 10 years.

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Lantana couple and former HOA leaders sentenced in fraud scheme
CBS 12
by Luli Ortiz
27 August 2018

LANTANA, Fla.— A couple accused of running a local homeowners association fraud scheme have now been sentenced.

A judge found the former president and treasurer of Lantana Homes HOA, William and Darlene Cox, guilty of organized scheme to defraud ($50,000 or more).

William Cox was sentenced to three years in state prison, while Darlene Cox was placed on probation for a period of five years, with the first year of probation to be served with a house monitor.

A judge also ordered them to pay a combined restitution of more than $360,000 to the city’s HOA.

The current leaders of the HOA are frustrated Darlene Cox is still living near the very people she is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from.

CBS12 News visited the home, but she did not answer the door.

“Numbers don’t lie. That’s one thing I found,” said Ema Jones, the current Lantana Homes HOA President.

They were arrested back in November 2016, when the current board discovered financial errors in the accounts during the transition of power.

“When we took over, we had 389 people placed on payment plans because that many people owed over $3,000 dollars in dues,” Jones said.

According to the arrest report, the two are accused of taking the HOA funds for their personal saving accounts and checking accounts, business accounts and to pay personal car insurance and their homeowners and life insurance policies.

“I am very thankful. I’m sure other members of the board are very happy to see that justice has been served,” said Michael Alexander, Lantana Homes HOA Vice-President.

The current HOA board is looking forward to building a stronger bond and trust with the people in the community.

“We look forward to the future of this community," Jones said. "We look forward to the value of our homes coming up. Law enforcement is absolutely on target with us. We’re all running in the same direction."

The board said there is a new person in charge of books, so this doesn’t happen again.

CBS12 News reached out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to find out if Darlene Cox is still a civilian employee there.

At last check, she was on administrative leave.

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Manatee high school teacher, husband stole thousands from condo association, cops say
Bradenton Herald
By Hannah Morse
05 May 2017

Alyson Colosia was arrested Wednesday. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office

A Manatee High School science teacher has been removed from her classroom position after she and her husband were arrested on charges of scheme to defraud $50,000 or more.

something strange was discovered during an audit

According to the Bradenton Beach Police Department, something strange was discovered during an audit of Alyson and Javier Colosia’s time as treasurer and president of the Gulf Reach Condominium Association.

The new association director found on Aug. 8, 2015, that the Colosias misappropriated about $134,000 of the association’s funds between January 2009 and August 2015, according to the probable cause affidavit.

During a first appearance hearing for Alyson Colosia, 51, her bond was held at $20,000 and she is not allowed to have contact with the condo association.

they failed to pay condominium maintenance assessments

The couple already had bad blood with the condo association, as court records indicate the association sued the Colosias in 2016, alleging they failed to pay condominium maintenance assessments and owed the association $21,950.

District general counsel Mitch Teitelbaum said school officials had not yet met with Alyson Colosia, but she had been removed from her classroom position as a science teacher at Manatee High School.

“The district was alerted of an employee's arrest that was not school related," Teitelbaum said. "The employee was immediately removed from the classroom and any student contact pending the outcome of an investigation.”

Javier Colosia was arrested Wednesday. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office

Javier Colosia, 53, is not affiliated with the school district, according to district spokesman Mike Barber. The couple, who were arrested Wednesday is being held at the Manatee County jail each with a $20,000 bond.

Herald education reporter Ryan McKinnon contributed to this report.

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Couple charged in Bradenton Beach condo fraud
The Islander
by Kathy Prucnell
23 May 2017

A former president and treasurer of Gulf Reach Condominium Association in Bradenton Beach have been charged with defrauding the Florida not-for-profit corporation of more than $50,000 over a six-year period.

The association address is 1303 Gulf Drive S.

Alyson Colosia, 51, and Javier Colosia, 53, who also own a condo in the 1300 block of Gulf Drive North, were arrested May 3 and charged with the first-degree felony.

The couple pleaded not guilty May 9 in 12th Circuit Court, posted $20,000 bond and were released that day from the Manatee County jail.

Their ability to post bond was delayed by the court to ensure none of it came from a nefarious source. A court investigation into the bond money showed a parent provided the funds.

According to police and court records, the couple made about $134,000 in unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals and other transfers between January 2009 and August 2015.

The alleged fraud was revealed by new leadership of the condo association in March 2016.

The three-unit association installed a new board Aug. 8, 2015, and its new president, Alan Gary, reported the alleged theft to the Bradenton Beach Police Department in March 2016.

controlled the association’s finances since its inception in 2004

Gary said he attempted to obtain the financial records from the Colosias, who had controlled the association’s finances since its inception in 2004, but they refused, and the board commissioned an audit.

Gary went to police with the audit and annual financial statements prepared by the Colosias.

According to the police report, the Colosias failed to pay association dues and pocketed money acquired from renting vacant units without authorization.

The couple allegedly skimmed $500 a day from the association bank account for about six weeks.

Transfers from the account also went to a company the couple owned and managed, according to a BBPD report.

The state and BBPD spent a year investigating the couple before making their arrests, Gary said.

The association has filed a foreclosure against Colosias’ unit for their failure to pay dues.

Case management hearings on the fraud cases are set for 8:15 a.m. May 31 at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.

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