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Article
Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel
By Kate
Jacobson
Published
October 23, 2014
A sales manager for a retirement facility and her husband
were arrested Tuesday after her employer accused the couple of stealing more
than $100,000 from the business, according to an arrest report..
Lantana police said they got a call on Oct. 6 from Justin Brown, the
executive director for the Carlisle — an independent and assisted living
center for senior citizens — about an employee who was possibly stealing
from the business.
Management because suspicious
after one real estate agent was constantly getting large
referral payments. The real estate agent, based out of
Royal Palm Beach, had received about $100,000. Brown
told deputies he thought that was strange, because the
residents who reportedly were referred to the Carlisle
by the real estate agent said they had never met him.
The checks to the real estate agent were authorized by
Deonath, according to the report. The real estate agent
is facing the same charges as Deonath and her Rodney
Jagessar, according to the report, but the real estate
agent has not been arrested. |
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Natasha Deonath, left, and Rodney Jagessar, right, are accused
of stealing money from Deonath's employer.
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Lantana police asked Deonath if she knew the real estate
agent, and she said while he sold her parents a condo a few years ago, she
did not have a personal relationship with him. She told deputies she was
shocked to hear of these allegations and said she could prove she and the
real estate agent were not working together to scam the business.
The real estate agent, however, told police a different story.
According to the report, the real estate agent said he was working with
Deonath and Jagessar to get the kickback from the retirement home. When
residents would come into the community to sign leases without help from a
real estate agent, Deonath would sign paperwork saying the real estate agent
identified in this case had referred them, according to the report.
The real estate agent would cash the check and then write Jagessar a check,
deputies said. The first check was cut in Feburary 2012 and the last one was
written on Sept. 11, records show.
In total, the company lost $104,680, records show.
The real estate agent declined to comment for this story on Wednesday when
reached by phone.
In a recorded phone call between the real estate agent and Deonath obtained
by police, Deonath argued that their business was legitimate. She said older
people have bad memories and maybe they didn't remember meeting him,
according to the report.
In a statement on Wednesday, The Carlisle management said Deonath is no
longer employed at the company and that this issue is an isolated incident.
"We are proud of the quality of care and amenities we provide residents at
The Carlisle and our operations continue as usual," the statement said.
Deonath could not be reached for comment despite telephone calls. Jagessar
declined to comment and referred questions to his lawyer.
Deonath and Jagessar are charged with money laundering, organized fraud and
grand theft. Deonath and Jagessar were released from the Palm Beach County
Jail Wednesday.
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