ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A construction worker at Watson Civil Construction was arrested after he embezzled more than $200,000 from the company over two years, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Detectives arrested Phillip Lancaster, 39. He was charged with grand theft and scheme to defraud.
According to Lancaster's arrest report, between 2015 and 2017, while Lancaster was responsible for most of Watson Civil Construction's finances, investigators said he funneled the money into an account he created.
An employee who replaced Lancaster noticed suspicious deposits, the report stated, and began investigating.
The Sheriff's Office said that's when the company realized the money was missing, which deputies said was ultimately used for Lancaster's personal expenses.
According to the report, Lancaster was also submitting bogus reimbursement forms to take even more money.
News4Jax stopped by Lancaster's listed address in a subdivision near World Golf Village, but no one answered the door. Watson Civil Construction did not wish to comment on the arrest.