ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A former city finance director for the city of Belle Isle is accused of stealing thousands of dollars in tax-payer money, Belle Isle police said.
Lucia Ramos, 43, worked for the city for five years, now she’s accused of making personal credit card payments from a city account, police said.
Investigators said they also believe she added extra money to her own paychecks.
Ramos served as the finance director from 2007 to 2012.
The investigation began about two weeks ago when the current finance director reported she believed a theft had occurred from the city in the past, police said. The same finance director also told investigators she reported the suspected criminal activity to a previous administration in the city, but said nothing was done.
Belle Isle police started looking into it and they say evidence showed Ramos systematically stole money from the city by making unapproved wire payments to pay off her own credit card debt.
Police believe she added an extra $1,000 to her paycheck on eight separate occasions.
Police told Channel 9's Jeff Deal that Ramos came in for an interview Thursday and confessed to using the city money to pay off her credit card, but did not admit to inflating her paychecks.
She’s facing two felony charges of fraud and grand theft.
Cox Media Group
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