TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The former director of a Hernando County animal shelter and her husband are facing charges after they allegedly took more than $1.5 million from the shelter, authorities said.
According to an affidavit, Susana Maria Arneson and Douglas Paul O’Berry were arrested on one count of fraud, money laundering for a transaction of $100,000 or more, fraud-swindle-obtain property over $50,000 and first-degree grand larceny. Their bond was set to $750,000 each.
Arneson is accused of taking money from the Humane Society of the Nature Coast and diverting it into a personal account.
Sheriff Al Nienhuis said Arneson worked for the Humane Society from Nov. 2018 to August 2021. She made between $53,000 and $55,125 per year, according to the affidavit. Her husband was not associated with the shelter.
Deputies said Arneson collected mail for the shelter and was the only person with a key to their P.O. Box.
Nienhuis said someone from the Humane Society noticed money missing from two bank accounts and reported the discovery. One of the accounts was supposed to have over $500,000, but the balance was $1,000. Detectives noticed several checks, totaling $219,700, had been deposited into Arneson’s account. She also got $108,001.98 from another bank account, according to the affidavit.
After doing some digging, detectives learned the couple allegedly laundered $1,551,148.87 in total.
Sheriff Nienhuis said they used the money to purchase a number of items, including a $22,000 boat, and 2020 Jeep Wrangler worth $43,000, and a $220,000 house that was bought in cash. The money was also used to finance international travel “which may or may not have been related to her change in appearance,” Nienhuis said. The sheriff added that the public could draw its own conclusions about her dramatic change in looks.
Arneson spoke to News Channel 8 in 2020 after someone broke into the shelter and stole 90 percent of their supplies.
“For someone so heartless to take this away from us, I just don’t understand,” she said during the interview.
See Melanie Michael’s interview below:
Neinhuis said the couple bought their house five days after the burglary.
“This individual obviously was a pretty good actress,” Sheriff Nienhuis said Thursday. “She is basically showing tears about a burglary that happened when she at that point had already taken $300,000 from the organization.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the burglar is facing eight years in prison. The couple could be facing even more jail time for their alleged crimes, a detective said at a news conference Thursday.
The affidavit said Arneson opened a boutique on Commercial Way in Spring Hill called Vibes by SQ, but investigators have not been able to locate any corporate filings for the business.
Neinhuis said the sheriff’s office has executed a number of search warrants on the business and the couple’s home, and seized a number of vehicles and vessels that they purchased. Investigators are still working to obtain more warrants, the sheriff said.
Note: News Channel 8 previously reported O’Berry was Arneson’s boyfriend, but he is now her husband. This story has been corrected.
