Two businesses were victim to same suspect
The Paso Robles Police have a woman in custody who allegedly embezzled more than $700,000 from two local businesses.
According to PRPD, the businesses each filed a separate complaint with the department regarding possible embezzlement. One of the businesses is a non-profit and the other is a manufacturing business.
“The victim businesses were Make It Manufacturing and Paso Robles Youth Sports,” said PRPD Detective Sergeant Tod Rehner. “We filed on the loss from Make It, but are still going through financials for the non-profit.”
The businesses alleged that a mutual bookkeeper, Deanna Serda, 56 of Paso Robles, may have been embezzling funds from the businesses between 2008 and 2014.
After an extensive investigation, PRSD detectives served search warrants on Serda’s residence and bank accounts. They searched several hundred financial documents and were able to corroborate a significant loss via embezzlement from both of the businesses. Investigators from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney assisted in the review of the documents.
The team concluded the financial documents revealed probable cause that Serda embezzled more than $700,000 from the manufacturing company alone. Investigators say the evidence demonstrates Serda allegedly forged more than 450 financial documents to facilitate the embezzlement. In late March, PRPD detectives secured a felony arrest warrant for Serda.
Serda subsequently turned herself in to the PRPD on March 20, and was transported and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail, with bail set at $1,200,000. Serda was charged with felony forgery, a criminal enhancement of denial of probation for thefts exceeding $100,000, a criminal enhancement for taking property more than $50,000 and a criminal enhancement of aggravated white-collar crime more than $100,000.
“[Serda] did not own an accounting business; she was independent/self-employed,” Rehner said. When asked if any of the money was recovered, Rehner said, “Zero of the funds have been recovered, but we are serving restraining orders that essentially freeze all assets.”
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