PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A family friend of a Largo air conditioning company was arrested after authorities said she stole more than $500,000 from the business as the comptroller, according to court documents.
Lisa Marie Warner, 55, of St. Petersburg, was charged with grand theft by the Pinellas County sheriff’s Office on Dec. 4.
According to documents from the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, the owners of MC Mechanical Air Conditioning Services of Largo hired Warner, described as a “close family friend,” around 2014 as the company's comptroller.
She was tasked with overseeing accounting, payroll and human resources. She had exclusive access to the company’s payroll and managed all the finances, including bank and credit card accounts.
In July of 2024, company owners conducted an internal audit and discovered that between 2015 and 2024, Warner paid herself $214,245 in overtime pay. Warner was a salaried employer and was not entitled to overtime pay, the court records stated.
In addition, company owners also discovered that she paid about $523,392 to her personal Capitol One credit card from MC Mechanical’s bank account.
Upon discovery of Warner’s unauthorized charges, company owners blocked her from further accessing the business payroll, bank accounts and credit cards.
She was arrested on a $250,000 bond. She has since bonded out.
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