INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A restaurant worker was jailed Tuesday after officials said she collected nearly $7,000 in tips she sent herself from orders placed through meal delivery apps. The waitress at Hurricane Grill & Wings used a tab in the restaurant’s computer system to add tips from Uber Eats and DoorDash orders.
“The problem was that no one was tipping,” Indian River County sheriff’s officers said in the arrest report. “Upon entering a tip through this tab, at the end of the shift the system would appear as if the restaurant owed the waiter tips for those orders after the waiter’s remaining tips were accumulated.”
Angelica Carbone
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY THE INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Angelica Carbone, 42, of Fort Pierce, was charged with grand larceny and conspiracy to commit fraud. Carbone was released from the Indian River County Jail on Wednesday on $10,000 bail.
Tips from meal delivery services — like Uber Eats — go to drivers, not restaurant waiters.
“100 percent of tips go directly to your driver,” according to UberEats.com. “They’re the ones who go to the restaurant, stand in line, and take a ride so you don’t have to.”
The incidents — including 1,434 orders between Uber Eats and DoorDash — reportedly happened between January 1 and May 21. Deputies said Carbone collected $6,946.16 in tips through the two meal delivery apps.
Officials were responding to reports of a theft Monday at the Hurricane Grill & Wings at 15th. The beach restaurant is known for its spicy wings.
Officials spoke to the owner, who said a manager came to her about an anomaly about the size of the tip Carbone took home after her shift. The owner checked the restaurant’s records and found that Carbone added fake tips for himself by ordering through the food delivery apps, officials said.
“Carbone has handled or processed many of these orders,” MPs said. “A majority of the DoorDash and Uber Eats orders processed by Carbone also have tips added to the check for the server. (The restaurant owner) pointed out that this is not possible because the customer is placing an order through the respective app or website and the waiters are not tipped for those orders.”
Carbone told MPs that other waiters are also adding tips to Uber Eats and DoorDash orders because it’s an easy way for them to make money when business is sluggish, reports show. “I mean I’m not innocent and neither is anyone else,” Carbone told officers.
Officials reviewed the records and reportedly couldn’t find another server that had requested tips for the food delivery apps since Jan. 1.
Officers arrested Carbone and took her to the county jail. Court records show an indictment against Carbone arrived at 8:45 a.m. on July 6.
