Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing $180,000 from Disney World Resort Shades of Green and Dept. of Defense. We have written previously of people getting drunk and out of control at Disney World, people trying to steal from stores around Disney, and a few other petty issues, but stealing from Military Members and their families on vacation is just disgusting.
A woman employed at a Walt Disney World resort for military members and their families stole over $180,000 by issuing refunds to herself, according to federal prosecutors. Elizabeth Carpenter faces up to 10 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced in a July 9 news release.
Over nearly two years, Carpenter accessed the accounts of guests and refunded portions of their room payments to her and her husband’s credit cards, as stated in court documents. She worked as an accounting technician at Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center resort at Walt Disney World owned by the Defense Department.
Carpenter embezzled $183,079.60 from the Defense Department by issuing refunds to her credit card accounts at least 652 times between July 2022 and March 2024, prosecutors allege. She has since pleaded guilty to theft of government property, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. According to Carpenter’s plea agreement, “Over time, [Carpenter] increased the number of refunds that she would credit to herself for a particular guest” at Shades of Green.
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On January 19, she made nine refunds, totaling $2,016, to her credit card from one guest’s account, the plea agreement states. Carpenter has agreed to forfeit the entire amount she’s accused of stealing, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 11, court records show.
US Attorney’s General Office Press Release: “Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Elizabeth Carpenter (44, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Carpenter faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Carpenter has agreed to forfeit $183,079.60, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Carpenter was employed as an accounting technician by Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center resort owned by the Department of Defense (“DOD”) located on Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista. Between July 13, 2022, and March 19, 2024, Carpenter used her position as a DOD employee with computer credentials to access guest accounts to refund a portion of guests’ room payments to Carpenter’s personal credit card accounts. Carpenter engaged in at least 652 unauthorized transactions totaling approximately $183,079.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.”
