Employee Of Well Known Criminal Defense Law Firm Charged With Grand Theft, Forgery & Scheme To Defraud
A former employee of a well known Bartow law firm is facing multiple felony charges after State Attorney’s Office investigators alleged she diverted client payments, created false records, and concealed missing funds over a period of several years.
Natalie Escamilla, 39, has been charged with Grand Theft between $20,000 and $100,000, Scheme to Defraud greater than $20,000, Grand Theft between $750 and $5,000, 15 counts of Forgery, and 15 counts of Uttering a Forged Instrument.
Natalie Escamilla Polk County Mugshot
According to the affidavit, the case began when attorney Gil Colon learned his law firm’s trust account was overdrawn. While attempting to determine why the account was short, Colon discovered thousands of dollars in payments that had been documented as received by the office but allegedly never reached the trust account. Investigators say the review eventually uncovered dozens of additional transactions that appeared in office records but could not be matched to deposits into the firm’s accounts.
Investigators allege Escamilla, who handled a significant portion of client payments for the firm, collected cash and electronic payments intended for the law office but failed to deposit some of those funds into the firm’s trust account. Instead, investigators allege some payments were routed into Escamilla’s personal accounts.
The affidavit states the investigation expanded after Attorney Gil Colon discovered issues involving missing funds and requested a review of office records. According to investigators, a forensic examination of payment records, bank statements, accounting documents, electronic payment records, and client accounts revealed numerous discrepancies between payments documented by the office and deposits received by the firm.
Investigators further allege Escamilla used multiple methods to conceal missing funds. According to the affidavit, some clients were instructed to send payments through Zelle, with investigators later alleging the money was deposited into Escamilla’s personal accounts rather than the law firm’s trust account.
The affidavit also alleges investigators uncovered payment receipts documenting money orders and credit card payments that either could not be verified or were later disputed by clients. In one instance, investigators allege payments continued to be collected from a client whose criminal case had already been dismissed. In another, investigators allege receipts were created for money orders that family members later stated were never purchased or submitted to the law firm.
According to investigators, the review identified numerous clients whose payments were documented in office records but did not appear to have been deposited into the firm’s accounts. The affidavit alleges the conduct began in 2022 and continued through 2025.
Investigators also allege Escamilla received more than $16,000 in Zelle payments from clients and that additional cash payments totaling thousands of dollars were never deposited into the law firm’s trust account.
Court records indicate investigators reviewed bank records, Zelle records, Cash App records, office accounting documents, client statements, text messages, emails, and information recovered from an office-issued cellphone during the investigation.
Investigators conducted a controlled phone call as part of the investigation. Details from that call were included among the evidence supporting the charges.
Escamilla has a court appointed attorney and has been issued bond.
