A Walmart employee will have to pay back the money she stole, but will serve no jail time after she was caught skimming off the business where she worked.
The woman, Kayla Mae Rutledge, 20, will get to have her criminal record erased provided she gets into no more trouble during her year on probation. She was allowed the judicial diversion by General Sessions Judge Bill Locke after she entered a guilty plea to the misdemeanor theft count. In addition to her probation, she will be required to make restitution in the amount of $1,265 to Walmart.
Rutledge fell under suspicion when shortages were detected in the cash register she was running. Investigators pulled video surveillance that covers virtually every foot of the local Walmart and were able to find footage of Rutledge stealing from the company several times.
“Video footage confirmed she was taking cash from her cash drawer on several occasions,” said McMinnville police investigator Barry Powers.
Rutledge admitted to her wrongdoing when she was confronted with the video evidence.
“She admitted she had taken, over the period in question, approximately $1,100 in cash from Walmart,” Powers said.
Rutledge was allowed to plea to a misdemeanor. Her original count of grand theft was a felony since it involved stealing over $1,000.