Sarasota Woman Defrauded Employer of $56K, Investigators Say

A Sarasota woman is charged with defrauding her employer of more than $56,000, authorities said Tuesday.

An internal audit at Tampa's Broadspire, which handles workers' compensation claims for employers and insurance companies, found that 37-year-old Joanne Bell was involved in the theft of tens of thousands of dollars, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation revealed that Bell, who worked as a claims examiner, issued four checks in a client’s name but mailed them to her post office box in Sarasota, according to a sheriff's office spokesperson said. The client noticed something was off on a 1099 tax form and alerted the company. 

Thirty-five checks totaling $56,195.66 were sent to Bell and deposited into her Chase Bank account between November 2011 and January 2013, sheriff's spokesperson Wendy Rose said.

Bell was arrested Monday and charged with scheme to defraud. She was released from the Sarasota County Jail after posting $20,000 bond.

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