More charges filed in Port Charlotte condo fraud investigation

Article Courtesy of ABC 7 -- My Suncoast

Published May 21, 2010

PORT CHARLOTTE - Charlotte County detectives filed more charges on 35-year-old Stacey Herrin-Snopek-Tuck of North Port in connection with a major fraud investigation at the Charlotte Square Condominium complex, 2296 Aaron St., Port Charlotte.

New charges stem from the continuing investigation for $503,060 in fraud.

The warrant was served Wednesday on Tuck at the Charlotte County Jail where she has been incarcerated since her initial arrest Apr. 4. The new charges include felony Fraud and Grand Theft; bond this time was set at $500,000. Her first arrest in this embezzlement scheme was also for Fraud and Grand Theft in connection with $100,000 in missing funds from the Chelsea House Condo Association; bond was $100,000. Tuck remains in jail on a total of $600,000 bond.

ECU detectives were notified Sep. 10, 2008 by the president of Chelsea House concerning possible embezzlement that triggered the massive investigation. The other association cases remain open and more charges are expected as ECU detectives unravel the elaborate and technical scheme. Detectives said the scheme started about June 1, 2006 and consisted of multiple independent associations. The Charlotte Square Association controls all the common areas and encompasses nine condo associations, Abbey House, Berkley House, Cambridge House, Chelsea House, Essex House, Hampshire House, Oxford House, Raleigh House and Regency House. Each of the associations is independently run by an elected board of directors. The common areas are controlled by Charlotte Square which is funded from each association; Charlotte Square also has an elected board of directors.

Charlotte Square Condominium Complex hired Star Hospitality Management, Inc., as their Community Association Manager. In 1996, Star Hospitality placed their employee Stacey Tuck to run the complex. During her tenure, Tuck managed the maintenance, day to day operations, and all financial affairs for the entire complex that included bank reconciliation, monthly and annual financial statements. Tuck also received the daily mail for each association that included monthly bank statements.



NEWS PAGE

HOME CONDO ARTICLES