For Immediate Release
August 22, 2014
LITHIA, Fla. - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center arrested Karla Lynn Reigner, 46, on two counts of grand theft through embezzlement, one count of scheming to defraud, 60 counts of forgery and 60 counts of uttering a forged instrument.
FDLE Agents believe Reigner stole more than $500,000 from two Tampa area heating and plumbing businesses. She was hired by Scott’s One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing as an accountant and bookkeeper in 2011.
The yearlong investigation shows Reigner routinely forged the names of the business owners on company checks writing them payable to cash or herself. She also used the owners’ business credit cards for personal gain and without permission. No customer accounts were impacted by this fraud.
Reigner was arrested this morning at her home in Lithia, Fla., and booked into the Hillsborough County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
The investigation will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit.
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Samantha Andrews or Steve Arthur
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001