CONDO CONNED OUT OF NEARLY A HALF MILLION DOLLARS

PRESS RELEASE BROWARD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

July 17, 2009

BSO Case Number: PB08-05-04631

PIO Number: 09-7-20

Date: May-July 2008

Time: N/A Jurisdiction: Pompano Beach

Place of Occurrence: Surf Rider Condominium Association, 1441 S. Ocean Blvd., Pompano Beach

   

Victim(s):

  • Surf Rider Condominium Association, Inc.

Suspect(s):

  • Pamela Lynn Csolkovits, female, 42, 4/30/67, 9455 Boca Gardens Cir. So. #D

Description of Incident:

A condo bookkeeper’s fuzzy math has finally been cleared up, but the discrepancies that were found amount to huge losses and no day at the beach for condo owners at the Surf Rider Community.

The resort’s trusted assistant manager and bookkeeper of 11 years, Pamela Csolkovits, 42, had been helping herself to the association’s money for at least four years.

On May 14, 2008, board members of the Surf Rider Condominium in Pompano Beach, a timeshare destination with over 2,000 individual homeowners, were alarmed by one of Csolkovits’ transactions. Without the knowledge of the board, she purchased an $85,000 certificate of deposit from a local bank. They questioned its authenticity and, upon some investigation, discovered the documentation she provided and the certificate of deposit were fraudulent.

Board members confronted Csolkovits and she admitted to defrauding the Association of almost $200,000. She was immediately fired. The board reported the crime to the Broward Sheriff’s Office and hired a private accounting firm to conduct an audit. The two-month investigation revealed that since 2005, Csolkovits, who had signature authorization on the Association’s account, had been transferring funds into her personal credit card accounts, making checks out to herself or to “cash,” and faking invoices – a total loss of $469,797.70 to the condo association.

On July 13, BSO Economic Crime Detective Mitch Gordon obtained a warrant for Csolkovits’ arrest. She was taken into custody on Thursday, July 16, without incident.

She’s currently at the BSO Main Jail facing one charge of grand theft.

INVESTIGATORS: Det. Gordon, RID Econ. Crimes; Pompano Beach; Fugitive Unit

THIS REPORT BY: Keyla concepción/PIO 7/17/09 1530

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