Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
DAVENPORT, Fla. - A series of suspicious transactions at a Davenport Ace Hardware led to the arrest of a former assistant store manager.
What we know:
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the owner of the hardware store contacted authorities after noticing a pattern of unusually high refund amounts over the previous week.
By the numbers:
The suspicious transactions took place from April 18 – 26 and ranged from $400 to $1,500.
Investigators said the total amount of fraudulent charges was $7897.81.
Fraudulent returns
Dig deeper:
Deputies said they reviewed surveillance footage and identified Justin Johnson, 22, as the employee conducting each of the fraudulent returns.
At the time, Johnson was employed as an assistant manager.
According to investigators, evidence shows that Johnson was making false sales and then processing the returns at his register; at the payment terminal, he used his phone to transfer the refunded money into his personal account.
The store owner reportedly told investigators that Johnson unexpectedly quit his job on April 26.
Johnson was arrested and charged with grand theft of more than $5,000 but less than $10,000, and with defrauding to obtain property of less than $20,000.
‘Employee abusing his position for personal gain’
What they're saying:
"This was a clear case of an employee abusing his position for personal gain," explained Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. "I’m proud of the quick work by our deputies and grateful to the business owner who reported the suspicious activity. We will always stand with our local businesses and hold offenders accountable."
The Source: This article was written with information provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office in a press release.