POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Jennifer Garula-Mers, 53, former CEO of the East Polk County Association of Realtors, has been arrested on grand theft charges. Authorities say she stole more than $81,000 from the association between 2020 and 2024 by increasing her salary and issuing unauthorized bonuses for personal purchases, including grooming and beauty products.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a news conference Friday outlining the investigation. RJ Webb, the association’s president, discovered unusual transactions and requested financial documents from Garula-Mers, but she refused. When Webb raised concerns with the board, they allegedly sided with Garula-Mers and suggested he leave the association.
During a civil lawsuit filed by Webb, Garula-Mers reportedly hired 55-year-old David Stachowiak to make a threatening phone call to Webb and his father, warning that “it wouldn’t end well” if they didn’t drop the lawsuit. Investigators traced the call to a phone purchased for Stachowiak and arrested him on felony charges of extortion, tampering with evidence, and use of two-way communication.
The investigation ultimately led to Garula-Mers’ arrest at her Hernando County home on a Polk County warrant. She faces grand theft charges exceeding $20,000. If she cannot post bond in Hernando County, she will be extradited back to Polk County for prosecution.
