A former bookkeeper was sentenced Friday to 70 months in prison after being convicted of setting fire to her workplace in an attempt to conceal the embezzlement of more than $700,000. Carey Alice Hernandez, who worked at Off Road Warehouse, was found guilty by a federal jury for her role in the March 28, 2019, morning blaze that devastated the business.
The fire, which fortunately resulted in no injuries, drew the attention of law enforcement following noticeable surveillance footage that captured an SUV with dark wheel rims near the site of the flames. Prosecutors connected the vehicle to Hernandez, as it was also seen near her residence shortly before the incident.
In a move designed to mislead her coworkers, Hernandez sent deceptive texts the day after the fire, attempting to assert that her SUV’s wheel rims were light rather than dark. This narrative was similarly presented to agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a thorough audit conducted after the owner’s decision to sell the business in late 2018 revealed that $744,621 was missing during Hernandez’s tenure as the bookkeeper and controller. The audit coincided unsettlingly with a fire that occurred just one month after Hernandez became aware of the impending review, where—remarkably—paint thinner was discovered within the room housing the financial documents.
This was not the first fire incident associated with Hernandez. In fact, an earlier fire in November 2018 raised eyebrows, given its timing and the circumstances surrounding the company’s finances. Hernandez had initially claimed to the business owner that she was merely painting in that area.
Convicted over the summer, Hernandez now faces a substantial prison term.
