Disney World resort accountant allegedly steals $183K in fake guest refunds
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - An accounting technician at a golf resort owned by the U.S. Department of Defense on Walt Disney World property is staring down a 10-year sentence for allegedly stealing over $183,000 in government funds.
Instead of an indictment, Elizabeth Carpenter pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property on Tuesday, according to court filings in the U.S District Court in the Middle District of Florida obtained by FOX 35.
Carpenter was an accountant technician at Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFCR) resort owned by the U.S. Department of Defense located on Disney property, court documents said.
"AFCR resorts provide affordable vacation opportunities to U.S. Service Members and their families," the court filing said.
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Between July 2022 and March 2024, Carpenter is accused of using her position as an employee with the Department of Defense to "access guest accounts to refund a portion of guests' room payments to the defendant's personal credit card accounts."
She did this by using a government-issued computer without permission from the resort, investigators said.
"The defendant specifically targeted guest accounts with multiple, completed stays, and she applied the refunds to various credit cards issued to her and her husband," the documents added.
Carpenter allegedly completed this refund process 652 times. Over time, she eventually increased how much money she was refunding herself, according to the filing.
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Court documents say she's facing a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine, plus she'll have to repay the $183,079.60 she allegedly stole to the resort and forfeit the illegally obtained assets.
The court has yet to accept Carpenter's plea of not guilty.