Sarasota woman arrested for stealing from employer

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested a woman for defrauding her Tampa employer of more than $56,000 over 13 months.

The manager of Broadspire, a division of Crawford & Company that handles workers' compensation claims, reported a grand theft of tens of thousands of dollars. The company learned from a client who received a 1099 tax form that reflected more than the amount received in benefits.

An internal audit of Broadspire records indicated 37-year-old Joanne Bell was involved.

A following investigation revealed that Bell, who worked as a claims examiner, issued four checks in the client's name but mailed them to her post office box.

From November 2011 to January 2013, 35 checks totaling $56,195.66 were deposited into Bell's Chase Bank account.