Sarasota interior designer charged with stealing $750k from couple

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) – According to a Probable Cause Affidavit from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, 54-year-old Linda Hyman scammed a couple out of over $750k, telling them she would furnish their home, but instead she kept the funds for herself.

It started back in 2023. The couple had bought a new home in Sarasota and hired Hyman, an interior designer at Clive Daniel Home, to furnish and decorate their home.

The couple said Hyman told them she would get a better deal on items if they sent the money to her personal bank account, instead of to the company she worked for, which is not company policy.

Over the course of nearly a year, the couple sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hyman through 22 wire transfers.

The total amount received exceeded $750k.

But the couple started asking questions and requested receipts. When they didn’t get them, they went to Clive Daniel Home to find out what was going on.

That’s when they learned that she had not used the money to furnish their home, instead she used it for her own personal gain.

A subpoena was sent to her bank and financial records showed Hyman used the couples’ funds on her own credit card debt, Amazon purchases, and at the Hard Rock Casino.

We reached out to Clive Daniel Home for a comment on their former employee’s arrest.

They told ABC7 they immediately fired Hyman upon hearing the accusation from the clients.

Their statement reads:

“In the fall of 2024, we became aware of a situation involving a former employee who acted outside of our company’s established business practices, and she was terminated from Clive Daniel Home immediately. We determined this individual instructed a client to make direct payments to her personal bank account, claiming it would save them money. Unfortunately, this individual kept those funds for her own benefit, failed to provide product, nor any form of refund to the client.

As soon as this was brought to our attention, we conducted a thorough review of the information provided directly to us by our client and immediately reported the matter to the proper authorities. We have confirmed that all client funds and legitimate orders placed through our company have been properly fulfilled and accounted for.

We want to emphasize that our company has strict processes in place to protect our clients, and any transactions completed outside of our official channels are not authorized or supported. We are committed to raising awareness about the risks of conducting business outside of these parameters and will continue to take every step necessary to safeguard our clients’ trust.”

The store is not at fault, and they say they have done what they could do help the couple.

We reached out to the couple and are waiting to hear back.

The Probable Cause Affidavit also said after Hyman was arrested, she denied the accusation that she stole any of their money.

Her next court appearance is September 25th. She is charged with Grand Theft, a first-degree felony.

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