Woman Suspected of Embezzling More Than $1M Arrested

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By Bay City News Service

Menlo Park police have arrested a 39-year-old woman who allegedly embezzled more than $1 million from her employer over two years, police said.

Officers arrested San Mateo resident Shannon Cardenas on Thursday at her workplace, Creekside Landscaping in Menlo Park.

Cardenas joined the landscaping company in March of 2013 as the office manager, according to police. She resigned in March of 2015.

Police allege that Cardenas fraudulently wrote and signed company checks, which allegedly paid her overtime and bonuses. Police also allege she used company credit cards to buy, among other things, trips and vehicles for herself, police said.

Officers said they booked Cardenas into the San Mateo County Jail and sent the case to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office to have Cardenas prosecuted.

The owner of Creekside Landscaping reported the alleged embezzlement to police in March, saying the embezzlement took place over two years, police said. Company officials noticed the alleged fraud when they
took over payroll and billing and were reconciling credit and bank accounts, according to police.