Georgia Teen Charged With Stealing Nearly $1 Million From Supermarket Where He Worked

A suburban Atlanta teenager has been arrested on charges that he defrauded a supermarket where he worked of nearly $1 million over a two-week period. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports 19-year-old Tre Brown was arrested Thursday by Gwinnett County detectives on charges of felony theft.

He was released from jail on $11,200 bail.

Gwinnett County police spokesman Corporal Collin Flynn said Brown stole more than $980,000 over two weeks in December and January by fabricating more than 40 returns for non-existent items.

Cash from the returns, ranging in value from $75 to more than $87,000, was placed on credit cards, investigators said.

Police said Brown used the stolen money to buy two cars, clothes, guns and shoes. Before his arrest, the teen reportedly totaled one of the cars, a Chevrolet Camaro, Flynn said.

The investigation began after corporate employees of Cincinnati-based Kroger noticed the transactions.

Police said Brown stole the money while an employee tasked with flagging fraudulent transactions was on vacation.

A "large sum of money" was returned to Kroger following the arrest, but it wasn't clear Thursday how much was recovered.

First published on January 22, 2021 / 6:17 AM

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