Crestview Woman Rosemay Manzano Indicted on Bank Fraud and Money Laundering Charges Over $4 Million Scheme
A Crestview, Florida woman is now facing serious federal charges after a grand jury handed down an indictment on August 3, 2026. Her name is Rosemay G. Manzano, and she is 40 years old.
The charges are not small. She’s accused of 17 counts of bank fraud, 19 counts of money laundering, one count of aggravated identity theft, and five counts of filing false tax returns. That’s 42 federal counts total. The amount involved is more than $4 million, some reports put the number closer to $4.58 million.
What She’s Accused Of
According to federal prosecutors, Manzano worked as a bookkeeper at a construction company owned by a man named Christopher Haertelt. From 2019 to August 2025, investigators say she and her husband, Joshua Adam Manzano, took money from Haertelt and his various businesses over a six-year stretch.
That’s a long time to be pulling off something like this, if the allegations hold up. Six years of alleged fraud adds up fast when you’re talking millions of dollars.
Where the Case Stands Now
Manzano appeared for her arraignment in federal court in Pensacola, in front of Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank. Her case is now pending, and it’s headed to a jury trial. That trial is scheduled for September 21, 2026, and it’ll be heard by U.S. District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Right now, nothing has been proven in court. She’s presumed innocent unless the government can show otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s how it works with any indictment, no matter how many counts are attached to it.
What She Could Face If Convicted
The potential prison time here is honestly pretty steep. If convicted on all counts, here’s a rough breakdown of what she could be looking at:
- Up to 30 years in prison for each bank fraud count
- Up to 10 years for each money laundering count
- Up to 3 years for each false tax return count
- A mandatory 2 years for the identity theft count, which has to be served on top of any other sentence, not alongside it
On top of prison time, she could also be ordered to pay restitution and forfeit assets tied to the alleged scheme.
Part of a Bigger Effort
This case came out of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a government initiative aimed at rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse. The investigation itself involved the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and local law enforcement working together.
For now, all eyes are on that September trial date. Until then, this remains an allegation, not a conviction, and Manzano has the right to fight the charges in court.