Two women arrested for embezzling over $3 million from Taylor Farms; Monterey District Attorney
MONTEREY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Monterey County District Attorney Jeanine Pacioni announced Friday that two Arizona women have been charged with embezzling more than $3 million from Taylor Farms.
The suspects, 38-year-old Karen Rodriguez and 34-year-old Elizabeth Vargas were employed in the Automated Harvesting, LLC's HR department from 2019 until 2023, according to the District Attorney's office.
During this time, according to the DA's office, the two women issues and then cashed hundreds of fraudulent checks that were made out to former employees who had returned to Mexico and were no longer working for the company.
As a result, Vargas has been charged with 15 counts of Grand Theft by Embezzlement and Rodriguez with 14 counts of Grand Theft by Embezzlement, the DA's office says.
After Taylor Farms discovered the theft in 2023, Salinas Police had detectives investigate the case before the District Attorney's Office got involved.
They say that on October 11 this year, arrest warrants were issued by the Monterey Superior Court for Vargas and Rodriguez. Then, on October 16, Rodriguez was arrested at the San Luis Port of Entry in Yuma, Arizona, and on October, Vargas was arrested during a traffic stop in Somerton, Arizona, according to the DA's office.
The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is seeking extradition to Monterey County with a bail set at $200,000 each and asks anyone with further information to contact the DA's office at 831.755.5070.
