TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A manager at a Tallahassee Walmart is facing felony fraud charges after deputies say he stole more than $80,000 from his job in just seven days.
On Friday, the Leon County Sheriff's office was called to the Walmart in the 4000 block of West Tennessee Street for an employee theft.
When they arrived, a loss prevention officer told them that the store's till had been consistently short all month and suspected one of the customer service managers was to blame.
The officer said that Alexander Washington showed up at the store and logged into the system on Jan. 28, 30 minutes after midnight. The officer found it odd because Washington was not scheduled to be at work that day.
When the officer reviewed surveillance footage, he discovered that Washington had logged into the store's main bank drawer, withdrew cash, and put it inside a cash bag.
A few minutes later, documents say Washington was filmed walking out of the office with the bag and into another room off-camera.
The officer said Washington then walked back into the view of the camera and into the customer service area with the bag. After that, Washington placed the bag on the counter and walked toward the front of the store.
According to the store's system, Washington made three transactions totaling $9,000.
After investigators reviewed the footage, an arrest report said deputies spoke to Washington who admitted to putting the money in the bag and leaving the room.
"He initially denied taking the money, but then recanted and stated he left it behind the counter," documents stated. When asked why he did that and if he was expecting someone else to pick it up, deputies say Washington refused to implicate anyone else in the crime.
Through further investigation, deputies determined that Washington stole $12,505 on Jan. 10, $28,318 on Jan. 14, $3 on Jan. 15, $16,717 on Jan. 20, $2,000 on Jan. 21, $18,000 on Jan. 22, and $9,000 on Jan. 28. In total, investigators say Washington stole $86,543.
Based on the evidence, Washington was charged with organized scheme to defraud (over $50,000). He has since gotten out of jail on a $25,000 bond.
