Miami Restaurant Employee Accused Of Stealing More Than $33,000 From Establishment

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A former Miami restaurant employee appeared in bond court Friday accused of stealing more than $33,000 from the eatery.

Oscar Orta, 30, is accused of stealing the money by voiding transactions over an 18-month period and then pocketing the cash.

He was captured on surveillance tape.

Orta stood in silence as a bond court judge read the charges against him, "You are charged with grand theft in the 2nd degree and organized fraud."

The judge took a few minutes to study the arrest affidavit. It said Orta was the service manager at El Carajo Restaurant at Southwest 17th Avenue and 24th Street and his job was to ring up purchases.

Miami police say he committed the crimes while working as a cashier at this restaurant, bakery and gas station between April of 2017 and November of 2018.

The arrest affidavit also said Orta voided an average of 3 transactions a day in those 18 months.

It added up to a total of 742 transactions during 254 shifts working.

He reportedly pocketed the cash, stealing a total of nearly $34,000.

The report says Orta was captured on surveillance tape putting cash on a towel and then covering up the money.

The judge set bond, "Count 1, it's going to be $7500 and count 2, he'll be on his own recognizance and the next count $7,500 for a total bond of $15,000."

CBS4 tried to find out how the crime could have gone on for so long before Orta was arrested, but the restaurant owner told his manager that no one was commenting.

A check of records shows Orta has been arrested before for the grand theft of a vehicle.

The police report says he admitted to his actions and offered to pay back the $33,0000 and change that was stolen.

El Carajo Restaurant is located in the 2400 block of SW 17th Avenue.