HARLINGEN, Texas — A former finance employee at a Harlingen cancer treatment clinic is accused of diverting more than $750,000 from the business through dozens of transactions disguised as legitimate expenses, according to a criminal complaint.
Yuliana Perez, 40, of Brownsville, was arrested Aug. 4 after an investigation by the Harlingen Police Department. Her bond was set at $100,000. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the available records did not indicate that the case had reached a final disposition.
The investigation began after Dr. Mark Harrison filed a police report May 19 on behalf of Valley Cancer Associates. The complaint alleges that Perez transferred company money to four personal bank accounts between May 2025 and April 2026 while working in finance, human resources, accounts payable and payroll.
Investigators allege the payments were entered under the names of vendors that regularly conducted business with the clinic. A subsequent review reportedly linked the bank-account numbers attached to those vendor entries to Perez’s personal accounts.
The clinic’s review began after Perez’s W-2 tax records appeared to reflect approximately $200,000 more than her expected salary, according to the complaint. Administrators examined whether paid-time-off buybacks could explain the difference but reportedly determined that Perez did not have enough available leave to account for the amount.
An initial review identified more than $588,000 in suspected unauthorized payments. Additional examination found 87 electronic transactions and further deposits totaling $162,277.61, bringing the amount alleged in the complaint to $750,282.98.
Perez had worked for the physician since 2014 and was dismissed April 9 following concerns involving paid-time-off records, the complaint states.
The case remains pending. Perez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
