2 managers at Santa Rosa restaurant accused of embezzling $49K
Two managers at a Santa Rosa restaurant were arrested this week for allegedly embezzling thousands from the business by voiding cash transactions, police said Thursday.
The owners contacted Santa Rosa police in early February to report suspected embezzlement at the restaurant, located in the 3000 block of Marlow Road.
They had found discrepancies in voided transactions at the restaurant that allegedly occurred during the shifts of one manager. Such transactions were supposed to be formally documented, but in this case they weren't, police said in a news release.
"Those anomalies generated a deeper dive and full review of all voided transactions associated to the manager in question," police said. "That review uncovered even more significant discrepancies and losses."
Police property crime investigators began reviewing evidence, including company policies and procedures, transactions, point of sale terminal reports and co-workers' comparative void activity.
One manager at the restaurant is suspected of frequently voiding cash transactions, often many hours after a sale. The manager allegedly kept the cash without completing any required documentation for the voided transaction.
Detectives also contacted many customers who were unknowingly involved in the voided transactions, determining there were no issues with their meal or service, and the bill was paid as normal.
Police said that 27-year-old Santa Rosa resident Manuel Arzate Pelayo allegedly stole over $40,000 from the business through the voided transactions scheme, over a span of 18 months.
During the audit, the owners uncovered suspicious transactions and losses from another manager at the same restaurant, police said.
Those irregularities were connected to a similar scheme of voiding partial cash transactions—hours after a sale without proper documentation.
Detectives determined that over the span of 12 months, 25-year-old Santa Rosa resident Jordan Sorg allegedly stole over $9,000 from the business.
About 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, detectives served a search warrant at Arzate-Pelayo's residence in the 2300 block of Tedeschi Drive, where he was arrested. He was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of embezzlement and grand theft.
While detectives were searching the home, they found personal checks in a roommate's bedroom that allegedly did not belong to her. Several of those same personal checks had been used for suspected check fraud in an unrelated case. Thalia Perez, a 34-year-old Santa Rosa resident, was present during the warrant service and was later arrested by investigators for allegedly possessing the checks.
Later in the morning, about 10 a.m., detectives served a searching warrant at Sorg's home, in the 100 block of Noonan Ranch Circle. Sorg was arrested during the warrant service at the home.
He was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of embezzlement and grand theft.
Digital evidence was found at both locations and is being examined, police said.
