Local

Deputy arrested, accused of taking HOA money

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Volusia County deputy has been suspended after being arrested on grand-theft charges.

Investigators said the arrest didn't involve any actions on the job, but while he was the president of a homeowners' association in Port Orange. He's accused of stealing thousands of dollars.

Some residents of the Trailwood Home Owners Association told WFTV's Myrt Price that they can't believe that someone they trusted, a law enforcement officer and someone who had been their HOA president for seven years, could be accused of something like this.

"I don't know what to think about this," said resident Lindsay Morris.

Investigators said Brian Nardiello stole more than $8,000 from the HOA.

They said he wrote a number of personal checks to make subdivision repairs, most of which they say never got done.

Police said he would then have the HOA reimburse him. They said that in many cases, what he claimed he paid out and the amount he got repaid didn't add up.

Investigators believe he used HOA money to fix up his own home.

When questioned, Nardiello said he didn't know how much his home repairs cost or who performed the work, and he couldn't produce any receipts, according to investigators.

Police said even more money could be missing, but there is no way to tell, because someone used a key and went into the HOA storage room and stole all the documents and receipts.

Investigators said only three people had a key, and one of those was Nardiello.

Police said the documents disappeared just as the theft allegations started to surface.

Investigators said allegations related to the thefts go back as far as 2008.