Property manager scammed $22K from Spanish-speaking renters, say Kennewick police
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- Former Kennewick manager allegedly stole $22K in rent.
- Victims were Spanish-speaking tenants told to leave money orders blank.
- Affinity Property Management fired the suspect after finding missing money.
A former Kennewick apartment manager was arrested last week on suspicion of stealing $22,000 from Spanish-speaking renters, leaving several at risk of losing their homes.
Andrea E. O. Gibson, 30, worked for Affinity Property Management at the Crown Village Apartments next door to WinCo Foods, said court documents.
She allegedly targeted Spanish-speaking tenants and told them to hand her money orders directly from the nearby grocery store, court documents said.
She told them to sign the money order, but to leave the rest blank.
She deposited the checks directly into her Wells Fargo account after allegedly filling out the money orders to herself, court documents said.
Kennewick police found 28 money orders totaling $22,044.
Investigators also found she altered the company’s records for the tenant’s contact information in an attempt to stop the company from reaching the victims about failing to pay their rent, court documents said.
Court documents don’t say how many tenants were victims or how long Gibson was allegedly taking the money.
Affinity Property Management fired Gibson in February because money was missing, court documents said. When a new manager started talking to tenants behind on their rent, the tenants said they paid Gibson.
Gibson was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree theft and fraud. She was released on her own recognizance.