2 Ariz. women arrested in $3M Cal. embezzlement scheme

DAILY Bites

• Two former Taylor Farms employees were arrested for allegedly embezzling over $3 million between 2019 and 2023.

• Karen Rodriguez and Elizabeth Vargas allegedly cashed fraudulent checks made out to former employees.

• Both were arrested in Arizona and await extradition to Monterey County, with $200,000 bail each.

DAILY Discussion

MONTEREY COUNTY, California — Two Arizona women have been arrested in connection with a multi-million-dollar embezzlement scheme targeting Taylor Farms, a major Salinas-based fresh food company.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday that Karen Rodriguez, 38, and Elizabeth Vargas, 34, both former employees in the Human Resources department of Automated Harvesting, LLC — a subsidiary of Taylor Farms — have been charged with embezzling over $3 million from the company.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, the embezzlement took place between 2019 and 2023. During this time, Rodriguez and Vargas allegedly issued hundreds of fraudulent checks made out to former employees who had returned to Mexico and were no longer working for the company. These checks were then cashed, funneling millions of dollars away from Taylor Farms.

Vargas faces 15 counts of grand theft by embezzlement, while Rodriguez has been charged with 14 counts of the same crime.

The theft was first discovered by Taylor Farms in 2023, prompting an investigation by the Salinas Police Department, with further work carried out by the District Attorney’s Office. Arrest warrants were issued on October 11, 2024.

Rodriguez was apprehended on October 16 at the Luis Port of Entry in Yuma, Arizona, by the San Luis Police Department. Vargas was arrested the following day during a traffic stop in Somerton, Arizona. Both women are awaiting extradition to Monterey County, with bail set at $200,000 each.

Taylor Farms, founded in 1995 by Bruce Taylor, has grown to be one of North America’s leading makers of salads and fresh foods, employing over 20,000 people. The company prides itself on its family roots and partnerships with family farmers across the country, continuing to uphold its mission of providing healthy, fresh products despite the recent incident.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office is continuing its efforts to prosecute this case.