Over the course of seven months in 2018 and 2019, Hialeah resident Dianelis Molina spent $16,968 on clothes, $8,455 on cosmetic surgery and $8,156 at restaurants while making only $15,597 at her job at a Doral landscaping business.
Molina funded her profligate ways with a scheme that embezzled $149,079 from Greentree Inc. and will give her rent-free living, albeit at a federal prison, after being found guilty on five counts of wire fraud and two counts of identity theft. The 27-year-old’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29.
Molina worked at Greentree for about four years. Prosecutors demonstrated at trial that from August 2018 through March 2019, she recorded hours worked under the names of the 20 former Greentree employees. The company handling Greentree’s payroll issued payment to those employees, but Molina set up those direct deposits to go into three of her bank accounts.
Which was how Molina, getting paid at a rate of $26,737 per year at Greentree, was able to afford all of her expenditures. She also, according to court files and evidence, spent $4,888 on jewelry, $5,716 on a car, $3,776 at RoomsToGo, $10,064 on electronics, $1,803 on a timeshare in Orlando, and $162.85 on a Walt Disney World pass and $375 on Disney tickets.
And, she kept up with the rent on a $1,500 per month apartment.
Since 1989, David J. Neal’s domain at the Miami Herald has expanded to include writing about Panthers (NHL and FIU), Dolphins, old school animation, food safety, fraud, naughty lawyers, bad doctors and all manner of breaking news. He drinks coladas whole. He does not work Indianapolis 500 Race Day.