Hardee’s workers stole from drive-thru customers to bail out inmates, Indiana cops say

At least 10 employees at a Hardee’s restaurant in Indiana are accused of taking part in a scheme to bail out jail inmates using money stolen from customers.

Authorities launched an investigation after noticing “suspicious irregularities” with the jail accounts of certain inmates, with large amounts of money being put into them from outside the jail, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 7 news release.

“The same inmates were bonding out of the jail almost immediately,” the sheriff’s office said.

McClatchy News reached out to Hardee’s for comment but the company didn’t immediately respond.

Investigators began monitoring the accounts and eventually tracked the money back to its source, the release said.

“The investigation uncovered a complex fraudulent scheme involving certain employees of the Hardee’s fast-food restaurant in Michigan City,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that some non-employees were involved as well.

Through August and September, investigators say workers targeted drive-thru customers, snapping photos of their debit and credit card information as they paid for their meals. Money was then taken from those accounts and deposited into the jail accounts of inmates, which they used to pay bail, according to the release.

Once released, those inmates would visit ATMs and withdraw whatever funds still remained on their jail account, the sheriff’s office said.

In total, investigators say $14,700 was stolen from customers.

“The victims, who originally went to purchase food at the drive-thru of the Hardee’s, are working with their financial institutions to have the funds returned to them,” officials said.

Authorities arrested 10 employees at the Hardee’s location in Michigan City, according to the release.

Three are facing charges of fraud, while the rest are accused of conspiracy to commit fraud, the sheriff’s office said. All 10 employees are charged with criminal organizational activity.

Michigan City is roughly 100 miles northwest of Fort Wayne.

While investigators didn’t provide the location of the Hardee’s, only one location is listed in Michigan City at 5223 Franklin St.

This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 9:36 AM with the headline "Hardee’s workers stole from drive-thru customers to bail out inmates, Indiana cops say."