Camillus House’s former employee charged with $14,000 scam of disabled vet

A former employee of Miami’s largest homeless shelter was charged Friday with stealing thousands of dollars in disability payments from an 84-year-old veteran through ATM withdrawals.

Prosecutors say Tashia Raymond-Stackhouse, 34, who helped those in need find housing at Miami’s Camillus

House, told the veteran she would hold a new ATM card he received to withdraw Supplemental Security Income funds, or federal assistance for those with disabilities.

Then, prosecutors contend, Raymond Stackhouse visited the ATM more than a dozen times and withdrew $14,000.

She’s now facing four felony counts that include exploitation of an elderly or disabled person of over $10,000, grand theft of more than $10,000, organized scheme to defraud of under $20,000 and fraudulent use of personal identification information.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

Camillus House Chief Executive Hilda M. Fernandez said the alleged theft was discovered some time between when Raymond-Stackhouse gave her twoweek notice Aug. 15 of last year and the end of the month.

Fernandez said money was discovered missing after the military veteran was late on rent payments that he had always made on time using the federal assistance money.

Fernandez said her agency had begun a termination process for Raymond-Stackhouse because she was a noshow during the twoweek period between her notice and when she would officially resign.

Raymond-Stackhouse was hired in October 2020. There was no indication found that she had been stealing from anyone else.

“He thought this person was doing him a favor,” the CEO said. “I think he trusted her. It’s horrible she preyed on that trust.”

It’s unclear if the veteran will be reimbursed the money he lost.

State attorney spokesman Ed Griffith said Raymond-Stackhouse was in custody as of Friday morning, but there was no record of her being jailed on the Miami-Dade Corrections website.

It also wasn’t clear if she had retained an attorney.