A Fort Lauderdale waitress has been nabbed on charges of siphoning thousands of dollars from unsuspecting diners through illicit credit card charges, authorities announced. Elizabeth Alvarez Garcia, 38, formerly employed at Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, reportedly used a Square payment device to funnel customer funds into a business account tied to “Mareli Investment Corporation,” as per a police report. Local 10 News reported Garcia's arrest Tuesday.
Facing the heat after customers cried foul over unauthorized charges, the Dania Beach resident was shown the door by the Galleria at Fort Lauderdale mall eatery, where she had worked from April to July, according to the same report. In a spree that police said ranged over four days in June, Garcia allegedly helped herself to at least $4,320 from diners, with a single swipe snagging $2,500 “seconds after (he paid) for his meal.”
The fraudulent transactions traced back to Garcia, who appears as the vice president and registered agent for the LLC at the heart of the scheme. Disguising stolen funds as legitimate earnings, the money was then lavished on an "extensive history of purchases," from gustatory delights to personal treats. This detail was shared by authorities who dug into the financial footprints left behind in the business account.
Twice charged with third-degree grand theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and criminal use of personal identification, Garcia was later released from jail, yet the stains of her alleged deceit linger. Victims, after being reimbursed by their credit card companies, pointed Garcia out as the server on their bill's errant night, as told by a post on X related to the case.
@LennyDykstra #would https://t.co/2jt4c7GiIN
— God Bless America (@sulli583) January 4, 2024
The consequences stand as a stark warning to others who may tread down a similar path, moving forward with transactions that tip the scales not for service rendered, but for personal gain, at the cost of trust — the very currency of our societal exchange that, once spent, is hard to earn back.
