A former employee of another Turkey Hill in Schuylkill County is facing theft charges after police say he stole more than $3,000 in cash, lottery tickets, and gift cards over a two-day span last year.
Charles Callahan, 44, of Schuylkill Haven, is accused of taking a total of $3,142.95 from the Turkey Hill store in the borough. He’s facing a third-degree felony theft charge and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Police in Haven say the alleged thefts occurred during his shifts on Oct. 3-4.
The investigation began after store management conducted an internal review and contacted police on Dec. 22.
Police say the store’s asset protection division provided documents and video surveillance footage outlining the alleged offenses.
The series of alleged thefts began on the afternoon of Oct. 3. Police say that at 3:15 p.m., Callahan removed “$30 golden tickets” from the instant lottery display case and hid them in a handbook. Surveillance video reportedly shows him moving the items to a bathroom rack before retrieving them later and placing them in his pocket.
Later that evening, at a little bit after 7, police say Callahan activated a $500 Amazon gift card and processed it as a cash transaction without placing any money in the register.
Callahan also allegedly removed cash from the register earlier in the shift, resulting in a reported $160 shortage in the closing shift bag discovered by the opening manager the following morning.
Police say similar activity occurred on Oct. 4.
Callahan is allegedly seen on video exiting the backroom with two books of lottery tickets in his back pocket. He then processes the winning tickets through the lottery terminal from the stash in his pocket.
At about 10 p.m., police allege Callahan activated a Netspend card for $500. To balance the register, he allegedly processed a fraudulent $500 lottery winner, making it appear as though the transaction was covered by prize money rather than cash, police say.
The investigation was initiated after an opening manager arrived for work on Oct. 4 and discovered the empty shift bag, prompting a report to the district manager. Police say they interviewed that manager on Jan. 30, who confirmed the discrepancies found during the shift change.
READ MORE:
Schuylkill County Woman Accused of Stealing $1K in Stolen Scratch-off Winnings
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