A former City of Fruitland Park employee has been arrested after investigators say she used the city’s tax-exempt status to avoid paying sales tax on thousands.
Former City of Fruitland Park Parks and Recreation Director Christee Michelle Yoder, 49, of Tavares, was arrested on March 19, 2026, after a joint investigation by FDLE, the Florida Department of Revenue, and the Fruitland Park Police Department found she allegedly used the city’s tax-exempt Amazon business account between 2021 and 2026 to make more than $24,000 in personal purchases in order to avoid paying required sales tax.
employee has been arrested after investigators say she used the city’s tax-exempt status to avoid paying sales tax on thousands of dollars in personal purchases., Christee Michelle Yoder, 49, of Tavares, is charged with one count of fraudulent claim of exemption. Yoder worked for the City of Fruitland Park for 13 years and most recently served as its Parks and Recreation Director. The investigation started in November 2025 after complaints were made alleging Yoder was misusing the city’s Consumer’s Certificate of Exemption. FDLE agents teamed up with the Investigators said Yoder used the city’s Amazon business account to buy items for personal use while also using the city’s tax-exempt certificate, which is meant only for official government purchases. Authorities said she paid for the items using her personal credit card but avoided paying sales tax by making the purchases through the city’s account.According to FDLE, the investigation found that between May 2021 and February 2026, Yoder bought more than $24,000 worth of personal items this way. The unpaid sales tax totaled about $1,580. With a required 200 percent penalty added, officials calculated the total amount owed at $4,730. On March 19, 2026, FDLE agents obtained an arrest warrant for Yoder. She later turned herself in at the Lake County Jail that same day.The case will be handled by the Office of the State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Investigators said the case remains active.Police investigating shooting; victim in critical condition Columbus police are responding to a shooting that left a victim in critical condition Monday afternoon.Few details were immediately available, but ABC 6 confirmA man was found shot in the Linden area of Columbus Monday afternoon.A jury declined to indict a father who allegedly fatally shot his daughter in the chest following an argument about President Donald Trump.
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