A landscaping company claims one of their former employees allegedly used company credit cards to pay for trips, vehicles and other personal expenses.Photo:kwikeesystems.com
An employee of Creekside Landscaping was arrested by Menlo Park police after allegedly embezzling more than $1 million from the company over two years.
San Mateo, California, resident Shannon Cardenas, 39, was hired by Creekside Landscaping in March 2013 as the office manager. She resigned in March 2015.
When Cardenas left Creekside Landscaping, the company’s owners began to supervise payroll, bill payment and the reconciliation of credit accounts and bank statements. It wasn’t long after the office manager’s departure that the owner of Creekside Landscaping reported Cardenas’ alleged embezzlement of company funds.
After a months-long investigation, detectives arrested Cardenas last week.
She is alleged to have fraudulently written and signed company checks giving herself overtime, bonuses and money to pay her rent. Cardenas also is accused of using the landscaping company’s money to pay for trips, vehicles and other personal expenses.
She was arrested at her workplace in Redwood City, California, and was booked in the San Mateo County Jail for embezzlement. The case has been forwarded to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
