A Brickell condo fraud case has emerged after a former condominium manager was arrested for allegedly defrauding her employer of more than $140,000 by placing friends and family on the payroll for fake or redundant jobs. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office reported that 37-year-old Yissely Herrouet employed relatives, including her mother, aunt, and cousin, to collect wages for work that was never performed.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle emphasized the focus on such crimes, stating, “Thefts from condominium and homeowners’ associations remain a major priority for my Economic Crimes prosecutors. This arrest underscores the need for transparency and accountability in associations.”
The alleged scheme took place between 2016 and 2023 while Herrouet managed The Club at Brickell Bay. Her employer, FirstServices Residential Florida, one of the state’s largest property management firms, hired forensic auditors Fiske & Company after receiving reports from residents and employees about possible fund misappropriation.
The audit revealed that Herrouet placed five individuals on payroll, submitted fabricated handwritten timesheets, and billed the association for work that was either not done or already completed by contractors. One company, Sunshine Cleaning Services, owned by her mother, was falsely reported as providing janitorial services.
According to the warrant, auditors referred their findings to the State Attorney’s Office in April. Investigators say Herrouet paid friends and relatives a total of $142,370 from association funds. A spokesperson noted that charges against those who received the payments are still under investigation.
Herrouet was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $45,000 bond. She faces charges including organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, offenses against computer users, and falsifying business records — encompassing both first-degree felonies and lesser second- and third-degree felonies.
