The Brief
- Tampa police say Rosa Harwell stole $74,520.97 from Alessi Bakery, where she worked weekend shifts.
- Harwell, who’s also a math teacher at Tampa Prep, is accused of creating more than 500 fraudulent cash refunds between March 2020 and February 2025.
- Harwell faces more than 50 charges and is being held without bond in the Hillsborough County Jail.
TAMPA, Fla. – A teacher at Tampa Prep faces a long list of charges after investigators say she embezzled nearly $75,000 over a five-year period from her other employer: Alessi Bakery.
Arrest of Rosa Harwell
The backstory:
According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Tampa Police Department, Rosa Harwell, 47, worked weekend shifts at the bakery off Cypress St. in addition to her job as a math teacher at Tampa Preparatory School.
TPD said the investigation into Harwell began after Alessi Bakery noticed a large amount of cash refunds from the point-of-sale system on days when Harwell worked.…