Couple says Sarasota interior designer took $750K meant for home decor

A former Sarasota interior designer, Linda Hyman, is accused of stealing over $750,000 from a couple.
Hyman allegedly told the victims she could secure better deals if they paid her directly, bypassing the company.
The couple discovered the alleged fraud after months of not receiving receipts and contacted the design company.

A former Clive Daniel Home Sarasota interior designer was arrested after allegedly stealing more than $750,000 from a couple who hired her to furnish their new home.

Linda Hyman, 54, worked as an interior designer for Clive Daniel Home (CDH), located at 3055 Fruitville Commons Blvd, at the time of the alleged theft. The award-winning interior design company offers residential, commercial and hospitality interior design services with stores in Naples, Boca Raton, Fort Myers and Sarasota. Hyman was arrested on July 17 by Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

In October 2024, the couple told CDH management that they were victims of fraud.

They told management that they had been personally paying Linda Hyman, a CDH employee, for items sold by the furniture company. She had told the victims she could get them a better deal on the furniture if they paid her directly.

Hyman had worked at the company for less than two years. As soon as management became aware of the situation, she was fired, law enforcement was notified and the company reached out to the clients to fully understand the circumstances, CDH shared in a statement. Every payment made directly to CDH was accounted for, and the selected product was delivered.

“Our firm is committed to working closely with our clients to ensure their project is completed to the highest standard and that their experience moving forward reflects our company’s values of integrity and professionalism,” the company shared in a statement. “We take these matters extremely seriously and are dedicated to maintaining the trust of our clients and the community.”

The Herald-Tribune was unable to contact Hyman for comment.

Hyman told investigators that she received wire transfers from the victims since they were not purchasing items through CDH. She added that at no point would she gain any money from the victims, and all funds were transferred to her credit cards to purchase items for the couple.

“Linda again reinforced her statements, stating she never received any profit or commission off any purchases or padded the prices of any of the items from the victims,” deputies wrote in an affidavit.

The victims provided CDH with $300,000 deposit to be used toward any purchases and services provided by the company. Any purchases or services exceeding $300,000 would be charged to the victim’s credit card on file.

From October 2023 to November 2024, the couple sent 22 wire transfers to Hyman’s personal banking account. She told the victims that if they paid her personally, she would pay for the items and get them a better deal, deputies wrote in an affidavit.

Hyman and her husband, Mark Hyman, received eight Venmo transactions from May 2024 to August 2024 from the victims. The total for all the transactions to Linda Hyman’s accounts was $750,304.40.

The victims believed that they were transferring the money to Linda Hyman to purchase the items for their new home in Sarasota.

After several months, the couple began asking Linda Hyman for receipts for the items purchased. However, she didn’t provide any of the receipts, deputies wrote in an affidavit.

This prompted the victims to go to CDH themselves. They learned that Linda Hyman had been keeping the funds sent to her personal account.

The victims’ deposit account was debited by Linda Hyman, who used the funds to purchase the items while keeping the funds sent to her personal account, deputies wrote in an affidavit.

A subpoena to Linda Hyman’s bank account found that only two payments from the victims were transferred to CDH for a total of $4,946.83. She would use the money to pay her credit card bills, to visit the Hard Rock Casino and Cafe, to make purchases on Amazon and to spend on other purchases.

Linda Hyman faces charges of grand theft over $100,000, a first-degree felony. Her next court appearance is Sept. 25

Melissa Pérez-Carrillo covers breaking news and public safety for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Reach out at [email protected].

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