A Miami-based Payroll Supervisor named Saidah Christina Byars has been arrested on charges of allegedly stealing a staggering $46K from the hard-earned money of Mr. Hospitality Group employees. This incident has left many employees feeling betrayed and down!
It is reported that Byars allegedly manipulated the payroll system, siphoning off funds intended for employees into her own pockets. This illicit act not only caused significant financial harm to the victims but also eroded the trust and confidence that had been placed in her.
Police said management initially believed there was an error with the new payroll system the company was using, but within the following weeks, they learned that more than 10 current and terminated employees had their direct deposit information changed to two PNC Bank accounts.
According to the arrest report, an internal audit was conducted by the company’s IT department, which found that Byars had made the direct deposit changes using her personal email address.
Police said her email was linked to the two bank accounts.
According to the arrest report, Byars received numerous deposits ranging from $518.29 to $1,596.41.
In total, the victims suffered a loss of $46,135.21, authorities said.
Police said the funds were quickly depleted from her accounts via debit card purchases at various stores, ATM withdrawals and Cash App payments.
According to the report, Byars last went to work at Mr. Hospitality Group on May 19 and discovered that her access to the payroll system had been removed.
Police said she walked out of the office and no one from the company was ever able to contact her again.
She was arrested Tuesday by a detective and transported to the Miami Police Department for questioning.
Police said Byars denied stealing the money and claimed she had a shared computer at the company that anyone could use, and that any/all changes dealing with payroll had been approved by her supervisor.
The allegations against Saidah Christina Byars are deeply troubling, and the affected employees deserve justice and restitution. The incident is a reminder to all employers to implement robust internal controls to safeguard the financial interests of their employees.
