By Eve 
A South Florida woman is facing multiple felony charges after investigators said she conspired with three men to steal a dozen vehicles from Hertz while working security at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s rental car center.
Savannah Harsha Phillips, 24, of Sunrise, was arraigned Wednesday on 13 counts including organized fraud, second-degree grand theft, and third-degree grand theft. Prosecutors allege she allowed drivers to bypass proper exit checks on May 16 and 17, when 12 cars were taken from the Hertz garage during late-night hours.
According to a Broward Sheriff’s Office report, Phillips used her access as a security worker to wave vehicles through without requiring identification or properly scanning their information. A detective wrote in the arrest affidavit that she was aware the keys were left in the vehicles and chose a time when business was slowest to carry out the thefts.
The stolen fleet included multiple Kia K4 sedans, several Nissan Altimas, a Toyota Corolla, a Hyundai Sonata, and a Nissan Sentra. At least two of the vehicles were later connected to crimes outside Florida, including incidents in Texas and Virginia.
Authorities arrested Phillips at her Sunrise home on Aug. 26. She is being held at the Paul Rein Detention Facility on $62,000 bond, though a judge has ordered her to prove the money does not come from illegal activity.
Court records show Phillips was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and later moved to South Florida. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1 before Broward County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Coleman.
If convicted, Phillips could face significant prison time under Florida’s theft and fraud statutes. Hertz declined to comment on the ongoing case.