[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 04/04/20]
LEESBURG, Florida — A Leesburg woman has bonded out of jail after admitting to stealing around $2,000 in fraudulent refunds from her employer.
Leesburg Police responded to Lowe’s, 9540 U.S. Highway 441, Leesburg in reference to a fraud investigation involving an employee March 25, according to an arrest affidavit. A corporate investigator for the home improvement store told police a cashier, Chelci Elizabeth Dixon had conducted 50 fraudulent refunds between December 2019 and March 2020.
The investigator told police Dixon would make purchases using her Lowe’s credit card or a Lowe’s gift card and make a return by issuing herself a credit on her credit card or a gift card, but would fail to return the items to the store.
Dixon, 27, was confronted about the fraudulent activity and admitted it in a written statement for the corporate investigator, according to the affidavit. The investigator provided police with a list of transactions and photos showing Dixon performing the fraud. When question by police Dixon “appeared extremely upset and apologetic,” and told police she was going through a financial hardship. She admitted the crimes to police and was charged with grand theft and scheming to defraud.
She was released from the Lake County Jail on $4,000 bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
