Three former employees of Bensenville, Illinois, U.S.A.-based Fortune Fish and Gourmet have been charged with the theft of USD 187,670 (EUR 175,124) worth of seafood over a four-year period.
The scheme also involved the former operator of the E&S Fish Company, a fish market and restaurant in Saint Charles, Illinois.
Former Fortune employees Oscar Gil, 47, Francisco Arizmendi-Garcia, 38, and Jose Hibarra, 56, allegedly carried on a three-year scheme where they would add more fish to orders placed by E&S Fish Market Co-Owner Ernesto Candia-Campos, 48, off the books, according to to the Daily Herald. Candia-Campos would then pay the trio using the Zelle payment app.
The scheme allegedly ran from 2018 until October 2022, when Fortune became aware of the scheme and contacted police. Candia-Campos showed up on 8 October, 2022, at Fortune's warehouse with a dolly to collect a 21-pound order with a value of USD 237 (EUR 221), whereupon he was arrested by police awaiting his arrival.
According to a police affidavit, Fortune lost at least USD 4,000 (EUR 3,732) worth of product per month from April to September to the alleged theft.
As of 13 February, Fortune Fish has not yet responded to a request from SeafoodSource for comment.
Photo courtesy of Fortune Seafood
