CLERMONT, Florida—A woman already convicted of fraud and on federal work release is accused of diverting funds intended for her employer to various money exchange apps, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Jenifer Elizabeth Hoffman, 46, of Clermont, misrepresented herself as a partner in K&S Cleaning, the owner of the company told Clermont Police Department in August 2022. She told police Hoffman began working for her in September 2020 as an hourly employee and worked her way up to a marketing and networking associate. In June 2022, the owner discovered Hoffman had been embezzling money since March 2021 by introducing herself as a partner of K&S Cleaning and directing at least 25 residential customers to pay her directly through various apps, such as Cash App, Zelle, Venmo and Apple Pay, the affidavit states.
The owner was able to provide proof of more than $13,000 missing but told CPD she believes it was around $20,000.
The owner provided text messages to CPD that showed Hoffman “alluding to her guilt.”
“Jenifer (Hoffman) does not outright admit to the crime but alludes to her guilt by her comments on the texts,” the detective noted in the affidavit.
Hoffman is currently on work release for a fraud charge from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the detective stated in the affidavit; Inside Lake was unable to confirm details of the crime on that case.
CPD spoke with Hoffman’s caseworker, and she said Hoffman told her it was a misunderstanding. She was scheduled to released from work release on Oct. 17, 2022, but the warrant in the current case was issued Oct. 3, 2022.
Hoffman was arrested Thursday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee for scheme to defraud and grand theft; it is unclear what her status was a press time.
