Woman embezzled $230K from Fort Lauderdale law firm while on probation for fraud, cops say

A Hialeah woman is facing three felony charges in Broward County after police said she embezzled more than $230,000 from a law firm while working there as an office manager — all while on probation for past financial crimes.

Catalina San Marty, 50, was booked into jail on Wednesday. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, she was convicted of grand theft and organized fraud in Miami-Dade County and was in the middle of a five-year probation term that began on June 28, 2022.

She’s also facing an open check fraud case stemming from a Feb. 21 arrest by Miami police.

The Broward case, according to court documents, stems from San Marty’s employment at Fort Lauderdale intellectual property firm 500Law, based at 200 S. Andrews Ave.

A report by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department states that San Marty worked for the firm from May 2023 to June 2024.

Detectives said she “unlawfully used her access to the law firm’s QuickBooks account to create a fake/spoof contractor payee profile” and linked her personal bank account to it, stealing $230,274.64 in the process.

“Subpoena responses from Centennial Bank and Capital One confirmed the embezzlement,” FLPD Detective Tristan Reid wrote. “Analysis of San Marty’s Capital One account’s transaction history showed the receipt of the victim business’ stolen funds and the expenditure of said funds on everyday living expenses to include but not limited to food purchases, Zelle transactions, gas, entertainment, and cosmetics.”

Authorities said the firm fired her when its managing partner discovered the fraud.

“San Marty later text messaged (redacted) apologizing for the theft,” Reid wrote.

But the apology was apparently not accepted. A representative from the firm desired prosecution, the report states.

Details about San Marty’s 2022 Miami-Dade conviction weren’t immediately available as of Thursday. Court records show it stemmed from a February 2021 arrest by Hialeah police.

As of Thursday, she was being held without bond in the Broward Main Jail on charges of obtaining property over $50,000 by fraud, first-degree grand theft and identity theft.