MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Miami-Dade woman has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly embezzling more than $615,000 from her employer over a three-year period.
Vanessa Arochena, 40, was taken into custody Wednesday following a detailed investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say Arochena used her role as a bookkeeper at Weathermakers Air Conditioning Contractors, Inc. to carry out the scheme.
Hired in November 2021, Arochena was given full access to the company’s financial systems and was responsible for managing payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and purchasing. According to investigators, she used this access to manipulate payroll records and pay herself unauthorized funds from January 2022 through January 30, 2025.
The arrest report states Arochena “fraudulently misappropriated funds by paying herself additional monies each pay period without consent from the victim.” Detectives confirmed the theft using subpoenaed bank records, which revealed the money was used for personal expenses.
Authorities described her actions as an “organized scheme to defraud” the company.
Arochena was arrested without incident at an office building on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables. She was taken to the Coral Gables Police Department for questioning but invoked her right to remain silent.
She is facing multiple felony charges, including:
Organized fraud over $50,000
First-degree grand theft
False entry in corporate books
Embezzlement/unlawful payment of commissions
As of Thursday, Arochena was being held on a $33,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
