Woman arrested in Collier County, accused of stealing money from former employer

A 44-year-old Golden Gate woman was arrested on felony warrants, charging her with stealing more than $35,000 from her former employer, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Lisa Yvonne Elliott is charged with scheming to defraud and grand theft. Her arrest culminated in a years-long investigation by the CCSO Economic Crimes Unit, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation began in 2018 and involved dissecting complex financial records, interviewing witnesses and obtaining subpoenas from financial institutions, according to Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

“Embezzlement cases typically don’t result in immediate arrests because they take longer to investigate in order to acquire evidence,” Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. “Nonetheless, these cases are important because they often impact people’s livelihoods, and the terrific work of our diligent and thorough detectives should be recognized.”

Detectives said Elliott was employed as an office manager for an East Naples business that installed windows and doors. Through their investigation detectives found Elliott embezzled a total of $36,860.28 from the business, according to deputies.

Detectives said she stole and altered checks from the business operating account and converted customer checks which she deposited into her personal bank account.

Deputies arrested Elliott at her Hemingway Circle home on Monday. She was booked into the Collier County jail and released after posting $20,000 bond.