Polk Realtors association ex-CEO charged with $81K theft from group

The former CEO of a Realtors association in Polk County, Jennifer Garula-Mers, has been charged in a theft case where authorities allege she stole more than $80,000 from the organization. 

Garula-Mers, 53, of Spring Hill, was taken into custody Nov. 20 by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. She is being held on no bond until first appearance and will be charged with second-degree felony Grand Theft, $20,000 - $100,000, according to a statement from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. 

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Garula-Mers was CEO of the East Polk County Association of Realtors in Auburndale from 2020 until she was terminated from her employment there in August 2024.

“Our investigation found that she made unauthorized raises and bonuses to herself, and non-business credit card charges that began within a few months after she was hired in 2020,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says in the statement. 

Garula-Mers was hired five years ago with an annual salary of about $80,000. Four months later, in November 2020, she increased her own salary to about $85,000, and issued several bonus checks to herself, authorities say. Then, by November of 2023, Garula-Mers had raised her salary numerous times without authorization, investigators contend. Her final annual salary was $99,472 — a total of $43,105.86 in unapproved increases and deposits.

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Records showed additional unauthorized payroll checks totaling $20,348.89; improper reimbursements totaling $2,112.97; and unauthorized $12,500 in bonuses, Polk County authorities say. These checks were issued and signed by Garula-Mers.

Many non-business transactions were also discovered, the release states. Garula-Mers allegedly used the EPCAR credit card for dining, shopping, personal grooming, household goods and Amazon orders. These purchases totaled $3,267.51. Garula-Mers also allegedly changed EPCAR’s contribution rate to her individual retirement account, netting her an additional $7,938.27.

Polk Sheriff's detectives found that EPCAR suffered a total loss of $81,453.92 as a result of Jennifer Garula-Mers’ alleged fraudulent actions. 

"Jennifer Garula-Mers’ is a thief and stole tens of thousands of dollars from the association,” Judd says in the statement. “I urge all nonprofit associations to have effective checks and balances in place.”