MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Detectives with the economic crimes unit zeroed in on a woman who was entrusted with administrating the funds of a homeowners association in a western community in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. They patiently collected evidence and accused her of stealing from homeowners.
According to Miami-Dade prosecutors, Marglli Gallego was under investigation for years over her work as the Hammocks Community Association’s president and former treasurer. Officers arrested Gallego on Thursday accusing her of stealing from the association.
Gallego, 39, appeared in front of Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer on Thursday. The prosecutor said Gallego can no longer be the president of the association. The defense attorney said there’s no way that Gallego should be prevented from being able to go to the association’s office.
Detectives believe Gallego misused the American Express credit card to pay for over $59,700 in personal expenses from 2016 to 2018. They also accused Gallego of using about $49,825 from the HOA to pay KP Assurance for private investigations.
Investigators believed she was growing more and more paranoid. A witness told detectives she was sending text messages with “random photos” of people who “she believed were watching her” and “were out to get her,” records show.
Gallego remained at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Thursday evening. She is facing charges of organized fraud and grand theft of the second degree.