Employee Accused of Stealing Funds From Local Bakery Charged With 51 Felonies

Tampa Police Detectives have charged 47-year-old Rosa Harwell (white female, 04/20/1977) with 51 felonies after stealing more than $70,000 from a local bakery located on the 2900 block of W Cypress St while employed.

According to the owner, Harwell was hired at the bakery on November 15, 2016, and an internal audit was initiated when they noticed a pattern of negative transactions, which were described as refunds on the Point-of-Sale systems, that appeared only during her shifts on the weekend. Between March 2020 and February 2025, more than 500 fraudulent negative transactions were identified. 

On February 16, 2025, detectives spoke with Harwell who stated she had tutored the owner’s son several years ago and was told she would be reimbursed for lowering her tutoring costs by receiving an increase in pay at the bakery. Harwell claimed that the direct deposits never reflected the raise, so she began to pay herself from the register. She also admitted to the detective that self-payments began four to five years ago. 

On March 13, 2025, Harwell turned herself into Orient Road Jail and was charged with 50 Felony Counts of False Entry in Books Of Business Entity and One Felony Count of Grand Theft Second Degree.