Tampa Woman Accused of Stealing Over $70,000 from Alessi Bakery

Employee Theft at Alessi Bakery

• 🚨 A Tampa woman, Rosa Harwell, faces over 50 felony charges for allegedly stealing more than $70,000 from Alessi Bakery.
• ⏳ The alleged theft occurred over a five-year period, from March 2020 to February 2025.

Discovery of Fraud

• 🔍 The bakery's president and CEO, Philip Alessi, discovered the fraud by chance while searching for a customer's invoice.
• 📸 Security cameras at the bakery captured fraudulent activity, as Harwell worked the weekend shift and handled daily deposits.

Method of Theft

• 💸 Detectives state Harwell admitted to altering system numbers by processing over 500 fraudulent negative transactions.
• 💰 She allegedly paid herself from the register by processing these negative transactions, which were consistent over time.

Employee Relations and Impact

• 💔 Philip Alessi expressed disappointment, noting Harwell was a longtime employee and that the bakery treats its associates like family.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He highlighted the bakery's commitment to its employees, with some having worked there for over 50 years.

Legal Proceedings

• ⚖️ Rosa Harwell, 47, turned herself in to Tampa Police and was booked into the Hillsborough County jail on 51 felony charges.
• 🔑 She has since bonded out of jail.