A Florida woman has been arrested after allegedly blowing through over $400,000 in overpaid wages she claimed to believe were part of a job bonus.
29-year-old Yessica Arrua, a receptionist at the Palm Beach Equine Clinic, is facing charges of grand theft and money laundering after authorities say she spent hundreds of thousands in misdirected salary payments that were never meant for her.
According to a police report obtained by the Daily Mail, Arrua was hired at a $60,000 salary, but a payroll mix-up caused her to receive the paycheck of a veterinarian with a $450,000 salary.
The vet, whose info was mistakenly linked to Arrua’s account, went unpaid for nearly a year without noticing.
Florida woman says she thought she received $400K as a “bonus”
The discrepancy reportedly came to light in early 2023 when the clinic’s CFO noticed the error and contacted the payroll provider. Investigators say Arrua admitted she was aware of the large payments, but never reported the issue. Instead, believing it was a “bonus” due to rumors that the previous receptionist had received one.
She allegedly spent the extra cash on luxury goods from Coach and Michael Kors, furniture, restaurant meals, and thousands in Zelle transfers to someone listed as “Mama Dukes.” Reports also say she used $80,000 to buy a food truck for a family friend, and sent a significant amount overseas to Argentina to build a house.
Arrua eventually confessed after being confronted by the unpaid veterinarian, who only realized something was wrong when her credit cards were declined and she reviewed her accounts.
Roughly $200,000 of the $414,000 overpayment remains unspent. Arrua admitted she would be unable to return the full amount, including the $100,000 her mother sent abroad.
She is currently being held at the Palm Beach Main Detention Center.
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