Four employees of the McDonald’s in the Student Union weren’t lovin’ it when they were arrested Wednesday and another is expected to be arrested today for involvement in a scheme, likely lasting more than a year, involving felony theft, said LSU Police Department spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde.
The suspects, all employees at the time of the thefts and some managers, allegedly overcharged students on their Tiger Cards through the Paw Points system before pocketing the difference. LSUPD suspects the scheme may have lasted longer than a year, but the restaurant’s record system only dates back one year, Lalonde said.
Although The Advocate reported the scheme resulted in the theft of $30,000, Lalonde was unable to confirm that figure.
He said the initial investigation began in October 2013, when the Student Union received an anonymous tip. McDonald’s looked at discrepancies in transactions, eventually confirming the thefts, and LSUPD secured warrants for the arrest of five individuals.
Previously, LSUPD arrested individuals for misdemeanor theft charges in the investigation, but the four arrested Wednesday and the arrest expected today were all different individuals, Lalonde said. He added that in addition to the five arrests, there could be subsequent arrests as the ongoing investigation continues.
While LSUPD did not release information on the fifth suspect, the four who were arrested and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison are: Bertrand Lawrence Brown, 34, 4631 Aldrich Drive; Constance Lacole Brown, 31, 634 North 37th St.; Danielle Marie Casey, 23, 1550 Kaufman St.; and Jeannine Rooks, 34, 1466 North 35th St. — all of Baton Rouge.
According to a news release by Chartwells, the company that operates LSU Dining, students who purchased meals during fall 2013 will receive reimbursements to their accounts from the University by Friday.
It adds that the McDonald’s location operates independently of Chartwells and that all of the employees allegedly involved in the theft were immediately terminated.