Man steals co-worker’s credit card — and buys a pumpkin and beer, Florida cops say
A Chili’s restaurant employee is accused of stealing his co-worker’s credit card, then using it for Halloween decor and beer, a Florida sheriff’s office said.
A Chili’s Grill & Bar employee thought she dropped her wallet in the restaurant parking lot after work one day, but was unable to find it after looking around, according to a Nov. 1 news release from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
The employee checked her bank statements after she lost her wallet and saw someone had used her credit card to make multiple purchases, the sheriff’s office said.
On Oct. 29, the employee reported the purchases as fraudulent to the sheriff’s office and detectives checked the surveillance footage of the stores where the card was used, according to the release.
In the video footage, they saw a man in a Chili’s baseball cap using the credit card to buy a case of beer and a pumpkin, the sheriff’s office said.
They identified the man as the employee’s 39-year-old co-worker, according to the release.
Deputies drove to the man’s home and noticed a freshly carved Jack-o-lantern in front of the house, they said.
They found the woman’s credit cards, driver’s license and other cards inside his wallet, and the co-worker was taken into custody, according to the release.
“The pumpkin was collected as evidence,” the sheriff’s office said.
The co-worker was charged with petit theft, possession of a stolen credit card and fraud, among other charges.
“All jokes aside, it is sad that an individual would do this to anyone, but especially someone with whom they work. I guess I just have a higher expectation for coworkers, because we treat each other like family,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in the release. “Not everyone has that kind of relationship with others at work, but hopefully they don’t have people like this, either.”
Port Charlotte is about 100 miles south of Tampa.
This story was originally published November 1, 2023 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Man steals co-worker’s credit card — and buys a pumpkin and beer, Florida cops say."
