DickY
07-22-2010, 10:40 PM
Link http://www.wesh.com/news/24350016/detail.html
THE VILLAGES, Fla. --
Shawn Mussante, 23, was probably not the kind of waiter who would deserve a generous tip.
Mussante has been charged with grand theft, organized fraud and criminal use of personal information to defraud. He was arrested after detectives with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said they uncovered evidence that Mussante doctored receipts at his job at Cody’s Roadhouse Grill in The Villages.
"They would put in a tip amount, and then whether it was before or afterward, he would alter the tip amount once the client or the customer went and signed the receipt," said Detective William Smith with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said Mussante added anywhere from $1 to $20 on the checks, eventually netting more than $700 in the alleged scheme.
Mussante declined a request to be interviewed while awaiting trial or bond in his jail cell at the Sumter County Jail. He is being held on $16,000 bond on a variety of felony charges.
Between April and June, detectives said Mussante changed the tip amounts on nearly 100 credit card charge slips.
Mussante was ultimately fired from the restaurant before the case evidence led to him. He was living in Maryland, but returned to Central Florida last week. He was arrested and ordered held on bond at his first court appearance.
Investigators said Mussante admitted he used extra money to satisfy an addiction to prescription pain killers.
Authorities said there may be more victims than they've discovered. The alleged scheme lasted three months, but investigators said Mussante worked at the restaurant for six months.
THE VILLAGES, Fla. --
Shawn Mussante, 23, was probably not the kind of waiter who would deserve a generous tip.
Mussante has been charged with grand theft, organized fraud and criminal use of personal information to defraud. He was arrested after detectives with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said they uncovered evidence that Mussante doctored receipts at his job at Cody’s Roadhouse Grill in The Villages.
"They would put in a tip amount, and then whether it was before or afterward, he would alter the tip amount once the client or the customer went and signed the receipt," said Detective William Smith with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said Mussante added anywhere from $1 to $20 on the checks, eventually netting more than $700 in the alleged scheme.
Mussante declined a request to be interviewed while awaiting trial or bond in his jail cell at the Sumter County Jail. He is being held on $16,000 bond on a variety of felony charges.
Between April and June, detectives said Mussante changed the tip amounts on nearly 100 credit card charge slips.
Mussante was ultimately fired from the restaurant before the case evidence led to him. He was living in Maryland, but returned to Central Florida last week. He was arrested and ordered held on bond at his first court appearance.
Investigators said Mussante admitted he used extra money to satisfy an addiction to prescription pain killers.
Authorities said there may be more victims than they've discovered. The alleged scheme lasted three months, but investigators said Mussante worked at the restaurant for six months.