An employee of the supermarket Fresco y Más located in the city of Homestead, in the southwest of Miami-Dade, was arrested and charged with organizing a fraudulent scheme that caused losses to the chain, according to Univision.
The arrested woman was identified as Maybel Alemán Alonso, 41 years old, who worked as a customer service associate at the establishment located at 27359 South Dixie Highway.
So far, the nationality of the accused has not been officially disclosed.
The investigation was initiated by the company itself after suspecting that Alonso was involved in maneuvers that were causing losses to the store.
The fraud investigator reviewed surveillance footage for several days until he gathered enough evidence.
According to the arrest report, between July 15 and August 18, 40 incidents of irregular transactions attributed to the employee were identified.
Detected behaviors included not scanning all merchandise, committing fraudulent transaction cancellations, and taking or consuming products without payment.
The report adds that Alonso would have also canceled transactions processed by other employees, resulting in those sales going uncollected.
The losses identified by Fresco y Más amounted to 486.44 dollars, according to the police report.
The charges he/she faces
Alonso was arrested and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center in Miami-Dade, although she was released after posting bail, without the need to appear before a judge.
He faces charges for organized fraud in an amount less than $20,000, classified as a third-degree felony under section 817.034 of the Florida Statutes, and punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
She is also charged with theft in an amount ranging from 100 to 750 dollars, classified as a first-degree misdemeanor.
The reaction of the customers
Several regular customers of the establishment reacted to the news in interviews with the mentioned media outlet.
One of them pointed out that he has been visiting that store for years without any issues until now.
"I have been coming to this store for about four or five years and I have never had a problem with anything or anyone. We are always checking what comes out of the machine and everything has always gone well," he noted.
Another customer expressed their discomfort with the situation and lamented that people do not take care of their jobs.
“With so many people looking for work and those who have jobs doing things that harm the country, it’s not easy,” he stated.
Next legal steps
Alonso has a meeting scheduled with the prosecutor's office for this Thursday, August 20, when the judicial process is expected to move to the next stage.
This type of case is not isolated.
In April 2026, the manager of a Home Depot in Miami-Dade was arrested for an organized fraud scheme that allegedly processed at least 4,500 orders with unauthorized discounts, resulting in millions in losses for the company.
Fresco y Más is a Hispanic supermarket chain founded in 2016 to serve Latino and Caribbean communities in Florida, with 28 stores and four pharmacies located in the southern and central parts of the state.
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