Florida woman stole $50K from doctor's office where she worked, police say

Mary Ellen Mitchell-Irizarry

Credit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Mary Ellen Mitchell-Irizarry

A Florida woman was arrested Thursday and accused of stealing more than $50,000 from the doctor's office where she worked over a five-year period, the Key West Citizen reported.

>> Read more trending news

Mary Ellen Mitchell-Irizarry, 40, of Tavernier, was arrested on felony fraud and larceny charges Wednesday and released later that day on a $30,000 bond, the Miami Herald reported.

According to an arrest affidavit, detectives began investigating after Eileen Turbessi, a physician at Mariners Hospital, reported that Mitchell-Irizarry had stolen tens of thousands of dollars in cash from the practice, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said. Mitchell-Irizarry had been fired in March, the Herald reported.

After reviewing records from the past six years, detectives found that Mitchell-Irizarry, who was a clerk responsible for depositing cash at the bank, was creating two deposit slips — one for the billing company and one for the bank, the newspaper reported.

Mitchell began making the bogus deposits, which totaled $50,161.27, in January 2013, the Herald reported.

About the Author