KOSICE, SLOVAKIA – JUNE 12: A ballerina rehearses at the State Theatre Koice on June 12, 2022 in Kosice, Slovakia. Due to the ongoing war, Ballet dancers of Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine began an official charitable tour in the European Union with a repertoire made up of fragments of Ukrainian and international ballet plays. (Photo by Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images)
Have you ever heard the tale of the Naples Ballet Bandit? It's a story of a Florida woman who made one giant butterfly jump to jail all because of greed. According to the Naples Police, back in December 2022, the owner of Naples Ballet contacted the authorities. And why? 'Cause they just realized they got jacked for over $100,000. Now, things can get serious when a ballet company can't buy new tutus or food to feed their swans because money is missing.
So, the cops start digging, and they find out this wasn't just some petty theft going on. This was an intricate hustle, straight out of a crime movie. And the mastermind? None other than their office manager, Nicole Christine Saunders. AKA, the Naples Ballet Bandit!
For four whole years, Nicole was running this scam, and nobody even noticed! This woman set up a fake company, right? And she used it to process payments from the ballet's credit cards. In total, the Naples Ballet Bandit pulled off 298 fraudulent transactions—298!—between 2019 and 2022. And guess how much she raked in? A cool $153,969.84. She was moving that money into her own PayPal account like she was just transferring pocket change.
Naples Ballet Bandit Busted:
Nicole then did what any other Naples Ballet Bandit would do, she took that PayPal money and went straight to the casino! Allegedly cashing out $134,643.19 in advances. Can you imagine her walking on her tippy-toes to the blackjack table and betting all that nonprofit money? Sounds like one giant leap into a Swan Lake of trouble.
Then, on May 20, 2024, the cops finally catch up with her. They slap the cuffs on Nicole and haul her to Collier County Jail on a number of charges. First up, Scheme to Defraud under Florida Statute 817.034(4)(a)(1)—which is basically the fancy legal way of saying she was up to some shady stuff. Then there's Grand Theft over $100,000, Florida Statute 812.014(1)—'cause you know she wasn't just stealing candy from the office vending machine. And last but not least, Criminal Use of Personal Identification Information.
Look, everyone needs to watch their money! Even if you think it's safe in the hands of a sweet-looking office manager at the Naples Ballet. 'Cause you never know, they might just be slapping on a tutu to be the next Naples Ballet Bandit.
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