17Shares

Estranged Wife Accused of Embezzling Thousands from Husband's Business

Francis Aitken {BSO}

By Ryan Yousefi

A Margate woman faces felony grand theft charges after an investigation discovered she had allegedly embezzled thousands of dollars from her estranged husband’s business.

On May 2, the owner of Carmen Cleaning Service contacted the Margate Police Department to report that four business checks were fraudulently used, with one of them being successfully cleared on April 25.

According to the victim, the total amount embezzled from the single check exceeded $20,000, and he quickly took action by freezing the business account at PNC Bank after being alerted to the fraudulent activity by the bank’s fraud department on April 27.

The victim told detectives as he looked deeper into the incident, he was astonished to discover that the payee on the checks was none other than his estranged wife, Francis Aitken, 38, of Margate, even though he had not authorized any such transactions. He pointed out that no one, apart from himself, had the authority to sign business checks, especially not her, as the couple was going through tough times.

In a subsequent interview with authorities on May 11, the victim told detectives that he and his wife were going through a divorce proceeding and stressed that his wife’s role as the Office Manager at Carmen Cleaning Service did not involve financial matters, payroll administration, or the handling of any checks on behalf of the company, whether in the past or the present.

To verify the company’s registration and ownership details, investigators accessed the Florida Department of State’s Division of Corporations database, which confirmed the victim as the sole listed registered agent and officer for Carmen Cleaning Service since its incorporation in 2015.

Further investigation uncovered a court-ordered agreement prohibiting contact between the victim and his estranged wife, Aitken. Among the stipulations, Aitken was mandated not to visit the business, interfere with its operations, or disparage the company.

Additionally, all communication between the parties was to occur using the “Talking Parents” application, with copies of the documents filed with the Broward Sheriff’s Office as digital evidence.

On June 14, investigators made contact with Aitken at her residence. However, she declined to speak without her attorney present.

To get a clearer picture of the financial transactions, authorities obtained bank records through subpoenas from PNC Bank and JP Morgan Chase. The PNC statements confirmed that the $20,000 transaction occurred on April 25 and revealed Aitken was the account holder, and the checks were deposited with a memo indicating “share distribution.”

Text messages exchanged between the victim and Aitken further implicated her. In one message, she admitted to taking a distribution from the business for personal expenses. She mentioned a $20,000 debit and said she would continue such distributions in the future.

Authorities concluded their investigation, finding Aitken deposited the checks into her account. The transactions exceeding $70,000 were either taken or attempted, with $20,000 successfully withdrawn from the account.

Despite the check being cashed in a clear embezzlement scheme, the report indicated that PNC Bank had not reimbursed Carmen Cleaning Service for the $20,000 loss as of this writing.

On October 17, Aitken was taken into custody and transported to the Broward County Main Jail. She was later released after posting a $30,000 bond.

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Author Profile

Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.