LANCASTER, Pa. — Police are investigating a suspected theft by deception case that occurred at a Wendy's restaurant on Harrisburg Pike in Manheim Township, Lancaster County.
The general manager of the restaurant, Linda Nicole Johnson, 35, of Monroe, LA, is a suspect in the case, according to Manheim Township Police. She is accused of creating a "ghost employee" who received almost $16,000 in fraudulent payments over 22 bi-weekly pay periods despite never actually showing up for work, police claim.
The investigation began earlier this year when employees at the restaurant reported their suspicions about the fictitious employee to police.
A forensic audit of the restaurant was performed, and investigators discovered that Johnson created an employee, William Bright, out of whole cloth, according to police. She would clock "William Bright" in and out manually.
"Bright" was paid through 22 bi-weekly pay periods despite never actually showing up at the restaurant, according to police. His last 128 shifts were all manually created by Johnson, police allege.
Investigators spoke to multiple employees at the restaurant, none of whom could remember anyone named William Bright ever working there.
The total gross pay was $19,898.15, which resulted in a loss of $15,846.91 to the Utica National Insurance Company, police said.
Police spoke to Johnson via video call on April 19. She allegedly admitted to adding William Bright as an employee on paper and creating shifts for him that he did not work. She then deposited his paychecks into her CashApp account, using the money to help care for her children, she allegedly told police.
Police filed a criminal complaint and issued an arrest warrant for Johnson, who turned herself in on Tuesday, Aug. 8. She was arraigned and released on $2,500 unsecured bail.
