Former Finance Manager Accused Of Embezzling From Menlo Park Firm #NewsUnitedStates

MENLO PARK, CA — A woman arrested Wednesday is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands from a Menlo Park company where she worked for nearly a decade, according to investigators.

The Menlo Park Police Department has identified the suspect as Amerlinda Mendoza, 59, of Mountain View.

Police said the arrest followed an extensive investigation into Mendoza’s time at the now-dissolved Strategic Business Insights (SBI), where she served as the company’s finance manager. Investigators said Mendoza took over the role last year after the office manager retired, tasked with handling company bank accounts, paying vendors and overseeing payroll.

In January, police said company leadership discovered significant funds were missing from the accounts, leading the CEO to file a police report and Mendoza to resign.

According to the authorities, the ensuing investigation revealed that Mendoza tapped company funds to gamble at casinos, pay expenses and transfer money over Venmo and Paypal, totaling roughly $500,000 taken over one year.

Police said the loss led to the company’s bankruptcy and loss of employment for more than 20 workers. Officers served a search warrant at Mendoza’s home Wednesday, where she was arrested without incident. She was booked into jail on suspicion of embezzlement and 18 counts of identity fraud.