On May 13th, 2025, deputies responded to a Pilot Travel Center where missing money quickly pointed to someone on the inside. Um the call was kind of vague. Um this has been It's been for a little while, yes. Okay. Um >> Right now we're a little over $6,000. Okay. And you have like all the receipts and everything for that or Well, it's all on I'll tell you when to get in there. >> Okay. This is what we got. On a daily we've got video. Okay. Um on a daily basis um the deposit should have been $947. >> Mhm. It was $851. This one here should have been 175, it was 76. And this is coming out of what we call the SCOs, which is our self-checkouts. Um and it goes on. So that caused us a shortage of $201. Okay. Now $1 Let me just because I could be coin, you know. So $200 difference. So we went to the video. Um and said, "Okay, well what happened to $200?" Um and if you would like you tell her from there. Or I can tell her. Um I had taken money out of the bank. I'm sorry, I can't I your socks are plugged in I can't hear you. I said I had taken money out of the bank. You took money out of the the the SCOs. Okay. Hey, come on. This is this is our detective up here. I called him. Um >> This detective Coates. So she was just explaining to me they have um these are from the Um do you mind if I just take this here? No, you're you're fine. You're fine. Um these are from the self-checkouts. So this was the total what it should have been. This is how much it was. Um same for this one here. It should have been 175, it was only 76. So they went to the video to look to see what happened. Mhm. And she's on the video taking the I mean she just told me she took money out of the thing, so. Have you read her her Miranda or anything like that? I I didn't ask. She just she just told me. Okay. Um So I haven't I haven't done anything. Okay. Since January. >> [laughter] >> Hello. So I'm uh Detective Coates with the Sheriff's Office, okay? Um I work all the property crimes up here. What is your name, ma'am? Lauren Marcason. No Norma? Lauren. Lauren Marcason. Okay. Marcason. Is that correct? Marcason. Marcason. >> Marcason. Okay. You want to step [cough] out for a second I'll just I'll talk with her real quick. Let's Mhm. Just so you know, this is each day. And that's the total. Mhm. Um we do not have all of it on video, but it If you look at it you can see the current news. Mhm. So Okay. I'm out. Mhm. I'll I'll come get you in a second. Yeah, just holler out here and they'll get us on the mic cuz we'll be out back here. Okay. All right. Thank you. >> All right. So I'm not here to embarrass you, okay? Um any more than you already are, all right? Um I prefer to handle this a little bit more delicately. Um I understand that people go through rough times, okay? I'm just trying to figure out, okay, what's going on, okay? Obviously you had a boo-boo, okay? And I'm trying to figure it out. Um some details, okay? Cuz I understand people go through perpetual, okay? I I fully understand that, okay? Um obviously for me to talk to you I obviously have to read you your rights, okay? That way you're aware of what's going on, okay? Um yeah. Um and she's on, okay? >> Yes, I am. Yep, I'm recording. [clears throat] Do you have the Have you been read your rights before? Yeah, I've been read my rights before just now right now. Just now right now? Okay. Um do you have the right to remain silent? And anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and have her present with you while you're being questioned. If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, one will be repres- uh appointed to represent you before any questioning you wish. You may decide at any time to exercise these rights and not answer any questions or make any statements. Do you understand each of these rights I explained to you? Yes, sir. Okay. Are you okay with me Are you okay talking to me? Yes. Okay. So I'm going to allow you to kind of explain to me kind of what happened before [clears throat] I had a look at the video myself. I honestly I just I get child support taken out every week out of my check and it takes like probably about over half of my check. Mhm. I should be getting anywhere from 450 every week and I'm getting not even two half the time. So it's just like I'm trying to keep up on my rent every month which is Mhm. over [clears throat] over $1,000. My car insurance is over 200 and same with my um my storage unit is almost 200. And my phone is 100 plus gas in my car every week. Mhm. over $400. So so you're not you just feel sorry? It's like You weigh over the over what you make. Right. >> Okay. Is this [clears throat] your only job? Yes. How long have you been employed here? Been here for a year. Over a year. How much do you make an hour here? Uh I think right now it's at 1580 something. Mhm. But like I said with the child support it just takes a huge chunk out. It takes almost 300 out of what I'm making. And how many kids are you paying child support on? Two? And that's to the dad, correct? Uh no, it's to the deceased father's mother. I'm not sure how that works. Like they had she has temporary guardianship of my kids. I just haven't been able to get them back and I have been paying for it since and struggling since. Mhm. And how long have you been in kind of a financial squeeze? The whole time? Yes. Okay. Yes. What was the last time you had a What did you do before this? Uh before this job I was working at Darrell's and it wasn't any better. I was making probably just about the same amount of money but not less. And [snorts] any schooling? No, no schooling. No schooling? Yes. Okay. Um Any support system? No, I just have like my mom and friends and Who is he? Mhm. Explain to me what happened here. Uh Cuz cuz um and when this all kind of started when this all unraveled. Honestly it unraveled when I took on a place by myself in the beginning of the year. Uh So January? Yeah. Okay. It was between [clears throat] January and February and it was just a house that come up on its own. And now so Now so it's just like really hard, so. And I made some poor choices to try to stay afloat. Okay. When do you think you you start When do you think these poor choices started? I want to say it was around either January or February. I'm not exactly sure. Okay. So this has been going back back to January. Okay. It hasn't been long, but Okay. How how many How much money were you getting do you think a week? I honestly don't know because whenever I would have enough for any of my bills I'd set it aside until it was time to pay it and then pay for my bills. Now were you paying your bills cash or were you putting this into a bank account? Um cash for most of it. What type of bill other than your child support? Is that the main [clears throat] thing? >> That's the main one that gets deducted out of my check. Um aside from whatever bonuses I get. But other than that that's all I'm paying that is deducted out of my check. Mhm. >> [snorts] >> So if you had to guess to me how much total do you think rough ball park do you think you've gotten since January? I don't really know. I've been able to have my rent paid for months. And that's you don't normally get your rent paid? Not that. Not as to where I have it each month. Is that what they and then months later I get Give me an honest ballpark. >> I honestly don't know. It would be a couple I think it would be a week it would be like maybe 100 and all of that. I just would set it aside until I had to pay something. Mhm. Would you Would you consider these assets somewhat fair or what What do you think about these numbers? They're just saying that's 100 here, 100 there, 250 here. Does that look right to you? >> It Or do you think It might be. I honestly don't know too. Mhm. Now did someone else put you on this? Did this Did you come up with this idea yourself? No, no that didn't happen. Okay. It's just Seeing that I was like, well just a little bit. Okay. And it's Pilot, it's a national company that they won't go broke. No, just I wasn't thinking of anybody else. Just trying to survive. Mhm. So I'm just trying to How many videos do you have that I can see right now? Okay. Can you show us the saved? She saved like five, six videos? >> Yep. Okay, let me I just want to see the the method of how they're doing it. He gets this one here. She is not doing a shift break at this time. She just walks over, opens the door, takes the money. Now in a minute she'll come back and do it to the other two. There's no reason unless she's doing a shift break for them to have it in there. And that's just a key? We're going to fix that. This is the third store nationwide that this has happened at. So, we're going to fix our process, but in the meantime you know. You look [clears throat] You guys looking at YouTube YouTube recently? I mean, with that body camera, you can see anything you want. And employee and manage especially managers managers does are like It's like a whole YouTube channel. Oh, that's that kid doing it. We don't put our on YouTube. >> [clears throat] >> I'll let you do your thing. I'm going to use the restroom real quick. Yeah. What else do you have here? You got your vehicle here? Just my vehicle. Is that? Just my vehicle. What do we want to do with cars or vehicles? What did he tell you? >> I can leave my keys with one of my coworkers. Okay. He said. Um We can get it for 48 hours. Is Okay. What's that? We can get it for 48 hours and keep it in the parking lot. It's the decent thing to do. Appreciate [clears throat] Um what coworker we giving your keys to? Is it the one that's right out here or is it someone else? And then do you have uh He's probably I think he's by the showers. Okay. He's one of my maintenance guys. Okay. We'll walk back there. Um and then you have Do you have your phone on you or is it in your car? Uh no, it's in the car. I want to go get it real quick so I can write down some numbers. Okay. Um I can give him the keys after if you prefer or Where's your car parked at? Right over here. Okay. And then where do you park at? Do you care if I go get your phone? Um We We It's just officer safety issue especially someone that's about to go to jail. We seize their car that way. I ain't going to run. Like you can follow me. It's just It's just officer safety. I mean I don't know exactly where it is in my car. That's why I was going to just go try to grab it real quick, but you can come with me. I'm not going to run. Can you Is he whatever he's doing is he able to step away for a second where he can come out with your keys and we can all He might. stand at the car together? It's that right [clears throat] there. It's right there. I don't know if it's the original one or not. Daniels? Where are you at? I'm running to my truck to grab my charger. Can you stay there a minute? I need you for a second. Okay. Thank you. He's outside. Okay. Do you know where he parks at? He should be in the same area. Oh, y'all have like a designated spot you park in together. All right. That should be about the end of your Hey, it's all right. I got to do what I got to do, you know? If you do tell me I'm like I'm going to roll [laughter] up in there. I'm not going to wait. Yeah. You know what I mean? I get Yeah. Um and then do you need to roll this window up in case it rains? >> Yeah, I probably should. Um who's that one? Give me the name. Yes, it's him. Okay. Um Do you have everything you need? Put it All right. We're going to walk over to not this silver Explorer, but the one next to it, the actual marked car. Yes. I'm going to put you in on the passenger side just so that way I can see you um and so that you'll be in the back of my seat. Um do you have anything on you that you're not supposed to have? My phone. Um I just have to pat you down. So, I'll try to do it the best. If you want to step up closer to the car. Yes, sir. I just No, you're good. You didn't steal it. I just didn't want to uh um Is there earbuds? Yes, sir. I got to start this thing. Do you think you're okay, honey? I I think so. About what? 5 years or so? >> [laughter] >> I think you're good. She was ultimately charged with fraud after taking property valued under $20,000. What do you think? Was she desperate or just dishonest? Let me know in the comments. And don't forget to like and subscribe for more.