WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A former Palm Beach County firefighter was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on three counts of misappropriating $158,960 from Piper's Angels Foundation Inc., a North Palm Beach-based charity that provides support to people with cystic fibrosis.
On Feb. 1, Elizabeth Genna Suarez, 34, was found guilty of wire fraud in the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach. She was found not guilty on one count.
Suarez had faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
On Friday, Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced her to 1 1/2 years with the three counts to run concurrently, as well as two years of supervised release. She was ordered to surrender on Dec. 1 before 2 p.m. to her prison location. Suarez was not assessed any restitution or fine. but was assessed $300 in fees.
Suarez was a Palm Beach County Fire Rescue firefighter and EMT from March 2019 until her resignation in November, a spokesman for the agency told the Palm Beach Post.
Suarez married the charity's founder and CEO in October 2018, and had access to his personal bank accounts and the charity's business accounts. The couple divorced in March 2020.
In 2019, she became a member of the charity's board of directors and obtained a corporate credit card under her then-married name. She also began to perform bookkeeping duties for Piper's Angels.
Suarez withdrew money from bank accounts belonging to the foundation for personal use, including spending for cosmetic surgery, sunglasses and car improvements, prosecutors said.
