Hospital employee busted for racking up $24K in personal charges on company credit card, cops say

HIALEAH, Fla. — A 39-year-old hospital employee is facing serious charges after allegedly using a company credit card for personal purchases.

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Hialeah police officers took Jose Miguel Penenori into custody on Wednesday outside Larkin Community Hospital, located at 1475 W. 49th Pl., in South Miami.

According to Penenori’s arrest report, the hospital’s vice president of support services contacted police after noticing what officers described as a “misappropriation of company funds by employee Jose Penenori” involving a hospital issued Home Depot commercial credit card.

Over the course of their investigation, authorities said they reviewed copies of credit card statements, receipts, invoices, and other documents, as well as surveillance video, ultimately determining that over a period of several years, Penenori had used the credit card to purchase personal merchandise mixed with legitimate company-related purchases from Home Depot.

Police said some of the items Penenori, of Lehigh Acres, bought for himself were household items, gift cards and a barbecue grill.

Ultimately, authorities said Penenori “engaged in a continuing pattern of unauthorized purchases using company funds for personal benefit,” with the illegal transactions totalling approximately $24,000.

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After being taken into custody, Penenori gave investigators a full confession, according to his arrest form.

Jail records show Penenori is facing felony charges of organized fraud of more than $20,000 but less than $50,000, second degree grand theft and fraudulent use of a credit card for more than $100.

As of Thursday morning, the Cuban national was behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

Once released from jail, Penenori won’t be welcomed back to work, as authorities said the hospital issued a trespass order to keep him off the property.

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