Staff at the LaPorte County jail administration began noticing the suspicious activity in several inmate accounts after large sums of money were being placed from a source outside the jail, according to authorities.
Indiana officials are investigating allegations that fast-food fraud that funded bail for several inmates at a county jail.
The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that "a few" Hardee’s employees, in Michigan City, Indiana, photographed customers' credit or debit cards while using the drive-thru and used the cards to put money in inmates' jail accounts which was used to pay their bond.
The recently released inmates would then take the remaining funds that were placed on a jail-issued debit card and withdraw it in cash from an ATM, the sheriff’s office alleges.
LaPorte County Jail commander, Andrew Hahn, along with other staff in the jail administration began noticing the suspicious activity in several inmate accounts last month after large sums of money were being placed from a source outside the jail, according to the sheriffs office.
After noticing those same inmates bonding out immediately after receiving the money, an investigation was opened, which uncovered the Hardee’s scheme, according to authorities. The investigation found a total of $14,700 in fraud charges.
The sheriff’s office named the following Hardee’s employees as suspects in the case and has issued warrants for their arrest: Darrien R. Ward, Prince C. Arnold, Kristin R. Vanschoyck, Madison M. Zuk, Anisa C. Higginbotham, Hollie D. Lachapelle, Carissa A. Bealor, Lawrence Armstrong, Moesha Monique Savanna Payne, and Dylnn V. Scott.
Ward, Arnold, and Vanschoyck have been charged with fraud and criminal organizational activity. The rest have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and criminal organizational activity.
The sheriffs office says the customers who had their card numbers stolen and used in the scheme are working with their banks to get their money returned to them after unwittingly buying a meal with a side of freedom for a lucky inmate.
