A former CFO and controller of a Laguna Beach furniture manufacturing company has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $300,000 from the business in a scheme that spanned two years, authorities said.
According to the Laguna Beach Police Department, Rebecca Buehler was arrested following an investigation into her finances, which showed she allegedly diverted company funds for her own personal expenses, including luxury handbags, alcohol and a high-end SUV.
Buehler was hired in 2018 by the unnamed business, which had been built up by its owner over the span of two decades. But as the company fell on hard times, the owner made the decision to close due to declining sales and losses, officials said.
But when the victim went to close out his business’s bank account, he discovered a major discrepancy in the account balance.
He contacted local authorities to investigate the missing money, which led to a forensic review of financial records that confirmed the theft, which they said contributed to the business’s closure in 2024.
“These expenditures were made by diverting funds from the company’s business account to support her personal desires,” police said.
Investigators were able to trace the misappropriated funds, ultimately leading to an arrest warrant for Buehler.
She was located in Redondo Beach and taken into custody by police. She is currently being held at the Orange County Jail.
Buehler has since been charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with seven felony counts of grand theft, including an enhancement for theft exceeding $100,000.
The total amount stolen has been estimated at over $300,000, officials said.
A former CFO and controller of a Laguna Beach furniture manufacturing company has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $300,000 from the business in a scheme that spanned two years, authorities said. According to the Laguna Beach Police Department, Rebecca Buehler was arrested following an investigation into her finances, which showed she allegedly […]
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