Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Oct. 25, 2024 – A Jonesboro man stole almost $6,000 from a local hearing aid business over the course of two years, police said.
A new hire at Beltone Hearing Aid Service told officers that a former employee had been stealing cash payments from patients, as the business had records of transactions where money was to be dropped off, but never was.
The front desk clerk had a list of transactions the company never received money for, which was provided to officers. The first transaction showed $1,000 cash missing in September of 2020. Two more occurred in June of 2021, in which the employee failed to turn in $1,100 cash and $2,800 cash. There was another transaction of $1,000 cash, although the probable cause affidavit did not list the date. The clerk confirmed with officers that she watched cash being paid to the former employee during transactions.
According to the probable cause affidavit, there were even more occasions where money was cashed but the employee never turned in the money, although “the exact amounts are unknown.”
After the employee’s firing, he reportedly sent text messages to the front desk clerk stating “I also at some point would like you to smuggle me a list of all the patients. There is no telling what they are going to tell them so I want to be able to tell the whole truth.”
The confirmed amount of cash stolen from Beltone is $5,900.
The employee is charged with one count of theft greater than $5,000. He was given a court date of Dec. 17 at 8:30 a.m. and a bond of $10,000 cash/surety.