LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A former employee of a Lake Worth Beach real estate firm has been accused of embezzling nearly $50,000 to fund personal expenses, including facial plastic surgery.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) launched an investigation on October 30, 2024, when a newly hired Financial Officer began auditing the finances and payroll of Sympatico Real Estate. The audit uncovered a pattern of suspicious payments and fraudulent reimbursements dating back to December 2022.
The accused, 59-year-old Pamela Depanicis, had been employed by the firm for about four years, handling payroll processing and managing employee reimbursements. Investigators revealed that Depanicis had been reimbursed a total of $47,498.01 without submitting proper receipts, violating company policies that required employees to submit receipts for any expenses.
The Financial Officer confronted Depanicis after discovering the discrepancies, leading to her termination. Further investigation showed that while employees typically used corporate American Express cards for business expenses, Depanicis was reimbursing herself for claims unrelated to actual costs.
Bank account records revealed that Depanicis used the funds for personal expenses, including payments to Toyota, FPL, Geico, and a center for facial plastic surgery.
Depanicis was arrested on Wednesday and now faces charges of grand theft over $20,000 but under $100,000.
