Sister accused of theft

[trexcubed]

My sister works for a large electronics retailer. I won't say the name, but it rhymes with "Work-it Pretty". Anyhow, she reimbursed people for returning their merchandise without a receipt. This is against company policy, and is grounds for termination. They have placed her on administrative leave, and she is being charged with a Felony! The store is missing $50,000 in merchandise, and they are saying she stole $4000 worth of cash and property. My sister has worked there for eight years, and has never stolen anything in her life. They said they have her on camera taking CD's and taking cash out of a drawer. The CD's are promotional CD's given to stores and not intended for resale. She has been getting these through the store since she has worked there. And the money she was taking out of a drawer was to give to a customer who had just returned an item. They have no witnesses saying she stole anything, and no one has ever seen her steel anything. The funny thing about this situation, she has spent the last year going to different stores to help them correct their inventory problem. At one such store, they were missing an $8000 plasma TV! My sister is pretty upset (this just happened on Tuesday), but she doesn't want to fight them because she thinks she committed a crime by letting people return their merchandise without a receipt! I am trying to tell her she will not be convicted by a jury for grand theft, because they can't prove she stole anything when they can't even keep track of their own inventory! I have retained an attorney on her behalf. Please help me convince her to fight these suckers!!!!

 

[NYClex]

Hm, tell her that being charged with a felony she is facing jail time. Tell her that even if she did something wrong, which she probably did if this was against company policy, first of all she should only be punished for what she really did, but not for things she did not do. But she will be punished for things she did not do, if she doesn't defend herself.

Second, tell her that even if she did something worng, she deserves a fair proceeding and trial and that she only can get this if she cooperates fully with her attorney.

 

[Beth3]

Most retail stores (particularly electronics stores) have very firm policies about not accepting return merchandise without a receipt. Shoplifters stealing merchandise and then returning it for a cash refund is a huge loss of income to a store. After working there for eight years, I really can't imagine what your sister was thinking by repeatedly violating what must be an extremely well-established, firm, and well-communicated store policy. Doing this does make it appear your sister was involved in a scheme with others to defraud the store.

Now maybe she is perfectly innocent of the other allegations but as I said, her decision to give refunds to individuals without a sales receipt is highly, highly suspect. I don't know your sister of course but given her informed decision to disregard a major store policy, I think the possibility exists that she may have some involvement in the other matters the store has accused her of, particularly since she's prepared to give up with out a fight. The store may well have evidence of the misconduct and theft of which they've accused her.

Whether she's innocent or not, your sister needs an attorney.

 

[Duranie]

I agree, she needs an attorney. I have worked retail, in a music store, and these promotional CD's are generally for customers, not employees. Also if she broke company policy by taking in exchanges or giving refinds without a receipt, she has no proof either she was not doing something illegal. Her charges are serious. She should see an attorney. If she is convicted she will have huge trouble finding a decent job, along with possibly some jail time.