Saline restaurant worker avoids prosecution by turning in stolen money
A Saline restaurant employee swiped an envelope containing $1,100 that was left behind by a customer last week, but confessed and returned almost all the cash to avoid prosecution, police say.
Saline police were called to Mark’s Midtown Coney Island at 529 E. Michigan Ave. on Feb. 10 after the manager reported an envelope of cash was stolen from near the cash register, reports said.
The money was turned in by an employee earlier in the day after a regular customer left it behind. Police spoke to the employees on duty and many who had left for the day, but had difficulty reaching a 39-year-old employee, reports said.
After the sixth attempt to reach him at his residence, police say the the man agreed to take a polygraph test. The officer explained the rightful owner, an Ann Arbor resident, would not pursue criminal charges if the money was returned — but that likely wouldn't be the case if the employee took the polygraph and failed. The man promptly confessed, reports said.
He went to his bedroom and retrieved the money, short roughly $65 that was spent on lottery tickets, cigarettes, and prescription drugs, reports said. He said he would pay the rest of the money back when he receives his tax return.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.
Comments
boom
Sat, Feb 19, 2011 : 3:32 p.m.
Who carries $1,100 in cash in an envelope when they visit a coney?
Kozmund
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 : 8:19 p.m.
Good to know that the police will still try the ol' polygraph trick and that people keep falling for it.
RJA
Fri, Feb 18, 2011 : 4:58 p.m.
I see the employee confessed, good deal! It does seem to me if he knew the customer, he would have returned it sooner and perhaps would have gotten a reward. Bad decision, I would say. I wonder if he will keep his job?