Three vendors arrested for allegedly defrauding employer during FIFA World Cup match in Miami
Key Points(5)
- Three food service workers at Hard Rock Stadium were arrested during the FIFA World Cup match between England and France on Saturday after authorities accused them of using a scheme to divert more than $10,000 in customer payments into personal tips.
- The suspects — identified as Angel Matta, 38, of Miramar; Justin Samuel, 46, of Lauderdale Lakes; and Marcus Tribble, 37, of Lauderhill — were employees of Sodexo Live, a vendor providing services at World Cup matches held at the stadium.
- According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, a Sodexo Live manager alerted deputies after noticing suspicious transaction patterns involving the three employees.
- Investigators said the workers processed customer purchases at the correct total amount but allegedly provided the food items free of charge while recording the value of the merchandise as tips paid to themselves.
- The arrest report stated that the point-of-sale devices used by employees were assigned at the beginning of each shift, with each worker required to log in using a unique identifier.
Three food service workers at Hard Rock Stadium were arrested during the FIFA World Cup match between England and France on Saturday after authorities accused them of using a scheme to divert more than $10,000 in customer payments into personal tips.
The suspects — identified as Angel Matta, 38, of Miramar; Justin Samuel, 46, of Lauderdale Lakes; and Marcus Tribble, 37, of Lauderhill — were employees of Sodexo Live, a vendor providing services at World Cup matches held at the stadium.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, a Sodexo Live manager alerted deputies after noticing suspicious transaction patterns involving the three employees.
Investigators said the workers processed customer purchases at the correct total amount but allegedly provided the food items free of charge while recording the value of the merchandise as tips paid to themselves.
The arrest report stated that the point-of-sale devices used by employees were assigned at the beginning of each shift, with each worker required to log in using a unique identifier.
The manager told investigators she discovered a pattern involving the same three vendors across all six FIFA matches they worked at the stadium, with transactions showing “astronomically high credit card percentage tips.”
Authorities said the alleged scheme resulted in $10,138 being collected as tips instead of payment for merchandise.
All three men were arrested and charged with organized fraud of $20,000 or less and third-degree grand theft. They were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Sunday, each on a $5,000 bond.
The arrests were among six made during Saturday’s FIFA World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium, which featured France and England in the third-place playoff.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said approximately 58,946 fans attended the match. In addition to the three vendor arrests, three other individuals were arrested and six people were ejected from the stadium.
Saturday’s game marked the seventh FIFA match hosted at Hard Rock Stadium during the tournament.
