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The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Rialto Theater ex-manager claims he’s ‘scapegoat’ in $26,000 missing from theater coffers

A former Rialto Theater manager jailed in the theft of $26,000 from theater coffers claims he is a “scapegoat” in the case.

Matthew Audet had worked as a manager at the Rialto Theater in Spanish Springs.
Matthew Audet had worked as a manager at the Rialto Theater in Spanish Springs.

Matthew Audet, 30, of Ocala, is being held without bond at the Lake County Jail on a charge of organized fraud.

At the time of his arrest in January, Audet was on felony probation after serving prison time for killing his mother in Maine. You can read about that case HERE

Audet, who appears to be acting as his own attorney, has filed documents in Lake County Court that would indicate he believes he was targeted because he was the only employee on probation at the time the money was determined to be missing.

When he was called in and questioned about the missing money, Audet “reminded upper management that managers work in pairs” and said another manager had signed off on his paperwork.

“Upper management had knowledge that (Audet) had run ins with the law due to Mr. Audet being on probation and by such Mr. Audet is being used as a scapegoat for whomever in upper management overlooked the alleged losses for eleven months,” according to the court document.

Audet was terminated from the Rialto Theater on Dec. 23, soon after a manager called him in and confronted him about the missing money, according to an incident report from the Lady Lake Police Department.

Police were notified on Jan. 6 about what had transpired at the theater on Spanish Springs Town Square.

Matthew Audet was booked Friday at the Lake County Jail.
Matthew Audet was booked Friday at the Lake County Jail.

A manager told police that Audet had taken $26,135.43 between February 2016 and December 2016 through fraudulent returns.

A warrant was prepared for Audet’s arrest and he was taken into custody in January by Marion County sheriff’s deputies. It was discovered by law enforcement that Audet was already on probation in Maine.

Audet had been released on $15,000 bond but skipped a court date and his bond was forfeited last week. He was arrested Friday and booked at the Lake County Jail.

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