Barbara Luna was adjudicated guilty and sentenced in two cases involving economic crimes impacting businesses in Collier County.
Assistant State Attorney Jessica Horowitz, of the State Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit, prosecuted the cases.
In the first case, the defendant was hired as a bookkeeper for a propane company. She worked there between 2016 and 2018. While there she unlawfully accessed business credit cards, often using a popular credit card phone app, to make charges and withdraw funds. She funneled the money to her own accounts. She also paid herself for more hours than she worked, sometimes more than the total number of hours in a single month.
The defendant was never authorized to write checks but did. She hid thefts by creating false emails she sent to the victim advising that payments had been made to vendors, although payments remained outstanding. She stole a total of $89,000 from that company. Restitution was ordered and reserved as part of her sentence.
She was also sentenced to the following: Principal Obtain Property by Fraud less than $50,000, 54.6 months in prison, followed by 10 years of probation. Fraudulent Use of Personal ID Information $50,000-$100,000, 54.6 months in prison. Fraudulent Use of Personal ID Information $5,000- $50,000 – 60 months in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.
In the second case, the defendant was hired as a receptionist/dispatcher by an A/C and gas company in Collier County. She had no authority to access accounts or funds. While sitting at the front desk of the business, the defendant located dormant, but still open, credit card accounts. She began using them for her own benefit to make personal purchases and pay for vacations. The theft was discovered approximately three months after employment.
She stole a total of $18,000 from that company. Restitution was ordered and reserved as part of her sentence.
She was sentenced to 54.6 months in prison, followed by 10 years of probation, for Obtain Property by Fraud less than $20,000, Principal Use of Scan Device to Access, Read Info on Payment Card to Defraud, and Fraudulent Use of Personal ID Information $5,000-$50,000.
The sentences for both cases are to run consecutively so she is sentenced to a total of 9.55 years in prison.
This was a plea to the court, not a plea agreement. Defendants can give up their right to a jury trial and plea straight to the court for sentencing. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director