Clearwater accountant arrested after stealing $700K from boss, deputies say

Nathaniel Rodriguez
·1 min read
1

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Pinellas County deputies arrested a woman Thursday who they said stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her boss through forged checks.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, detectives first learned of the criminal activity on December 2022 when the president of Inspecs USA, a Palm Harbor eye manufacturer, told them his managerial accountant was forging checks in his name.

Trader Joe’s opening new store in north Pinellas County

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Monika Hladik of Clearwater, had worked for Inspecs USA for 12 years, having been tasked with writing the company’s checks and bringing them to the president to sign.

Detectives said between 2016 and 2022, Hladik forged 232 checks, forging them with the president’s signature to send money to her Wells Fargo account.

In total, she stole about $710,531 from the company, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies said she manipulated entries in the company’s QuickBooks accounting software to cover up the thefts.

The sheriff’s office finally arrested Hladik on Thursday, charging her with a count of scheme to defraud.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.