With her stratagem, she bought herself a whole bunch of equipment... And money for her children.
A former cashier at an Auchan hypermarket, prosecuted for having embezzled hundreds of gift cards for a total of 100,000 euros, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison by the Metz criminal court.
The Metz criminal court also sentenced her to a fine of 108,792 euros for the financial damage.
The checkout hostess, who had 28 years of seniority at Auchan, benefited from a special status: cashier since the opening of the Sémécourt hypermarket (Moselle), she had become a trainer for the operation of the checkouts, giving her access to a “school” fund through which she discreetly passed gift cards for her personal account.
“As Auchan gift cards work in all the group's brands, such as Leroy Merlin or jewelry stores, she was happy,” comments Me Zakia Ait Ali Slimane, the hypermarket's lawyer.
She was able to improve her home by having a veranda built, made monthly transfers to her children's bank accounts, purchased electronic devices such as GoPro cameras, or food products directly from Auchan.
Hundreds of cards diverted
In total, between July 2018 and June 2020, the cashier misappropriated 432 gift cards, representing 100,000 euros.
“And we were only able to go back over a period of two years from his dismissal,” notes the lawyer.
“We don’t know what she could have done before!
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His scheme was discovered following a cash register error larger than the others, of 750 euros.
Without that, the hypermarket's lawyer believes “that she would have continued as long as she had not been caught red-handed”.
At the hearing on February 6, the prosecution requested two years of probation against this former employee.
Her husband, who was prosecuted for receiving stolen property, was acquitted.
At the hearing, the prosecutor said he was “divided” regarding his guilt.
“He said that he knew nothing, that he was often on the move,” reports Me Zakia Ait Ali Slimane.
Except that their lifestyle has still been significantly improved!
I remain skeptical that he hasn't seen anything for years.
Or maybe he’s blind,” she reacted.