Hammocks Community Association President Accused Of Diverting Over $100K For Personal Use

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced Thursday the arrest of Hammocks Community Association (HCA) President and former Treasurer Marglli Gallego after a three-year investigation revealed that she diverted over $100,000 for her personal use.

Investigators said Gallego was the HCA Treasurer from 2015 to 2017, when she assumed her current position as president.

"The activities which have led to the arrest of Marglli Gallego for allegedly abusing her position as President of the Hammocks Community Association are not only unneighborly, they are crimes," said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.

"Thanks to the work of my Economic Crimes Unit and the Miami-Dade Police Department's Economic Crimes Unit, we were able to put an end to Gallego's actions which personally benefitted her financially at the expense of law-abiding homeowners. The Miami Dade Police Department and my prosecutors are committed to investigating and arresting those individuals who would use Homeowners Association funds as their own personal wallets."

Investigators said that from November 2016 to early 2017, Gallego is suspected of redirecting HCA funds totaling $49,826 to a private investigations firm, KP Assurance, for surveillance work on a home
Gallego owns with her husband outside of the Hammocks community.

It is also alleged that Gallego made numerous personal charges on the association's credit card without the required authorization of the HCA.

Investigators say that from November 2016 to March 2018, Gallego utilized a total of $59,716.51 for her personal use.

Gallego is facing one count of organized scheme to defraud and one count of grand theft.