Florida man arrested after sending 7 former co-workers' paychecks to his own bank account, deputies say

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man was arrested after deputies said he sent seven of his former co-workers' paychecks to his own bank account.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said Jimmy Paul Garcia Velez, 31, controlled the payroll at a construction company in Palm Coast.

According to investigators, Garcia Velez rerouted the direct deposits of seven former employees to two of his own bank accounts.

"On paper, those workers were still on the job. In reality, their checks were landing in Garcia Velez's pocket. Bonus points for creativity; he also turned off his own health insurance payments and left the company covering 100% of his premiums," the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

The company owner noticed that the insurance numbers didn't add up and contacted law enforcement.

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The sheriff's office's General Assignment Unit "followed the money and subpoenaed the bank records, and every dollar pointed back to one name."

Deputies said Garcia Velez pocketed $15,456.72.

"A promotion is something you earn through hard work and the trust of the people who sign your checks," said Sheriff Rick Staly. "This double-dipper was a financial controller with no self-control who decided he'd rather embezzle a raise than earn one."

Garcia Velez was arrested and charged with an organized scheme to defraud and grand theft.

He was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released on a $10,000 bond.