We're here because you're being accused of theft. >> On June 26th, 2021, officers with the Casper Police Department in Wyoming responded to a local retail business following an employee theft call. Before units arrived on scene, the store owner took matters into her own hands by launching an independent investigation. By mocking currency with distinct lettering and matching cash drawer register tapes, she set an active trap right inside her own business. When officer Harris and assisting officers arrived, they were met with documented physical evidence before even contacting the suspect. [music] >> There should be bills in there. Sorry, I'm a nervous cry. >> I never thought this would happen. You got your initials and that's like the numbers. Plus, we have the serial numbers of the others. >> Okay. So, all right. >> How do we do this? We just go in and just uh How does she look? She's got a long skirt. She's got jacket. She's a shorter. I have the register tape too that she pulled it time stamp too. You guys on video already >> I have me on video but not her on video doing it but I have the time but she went over time. >> Yeah, of course. What's your phone number? anymore. No. >> Okay. >> Okay. Perfect. All right. I'll get some pictures out to you. Okay. >> All right. Perfect. We'll give you a text. Okay. >> Um I'll try to get them at you today. >> Hello. Hey, how you doing? Cray Police Department. Yeah. >> The reason why I'm here today is because we got a call in reference to something. I was wondering if we could talk to you for a second. Okay. >> Yeah, of course. Is there somewhere >> if you want so private or you just go in the back? >> Yeah, [clears throat] you go ahead and show us. >> Yep. >> Sorry. Messed up. >> So, first question is, can you guess why we're here? >> Um, I was accused of stealing money at a party. That was it. >> Okay. Uh, got your car. All right. I'm just going to read this out to you. All right. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can will be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice. Before we ask you any questions, to have a lawyer with you during questioning if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you before questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you will still have the right to stop questioning at any time until you talk to a lawyer. Do you understand the rights I just read you? >> Sure. >> Okay. So, tell us. >> I was just looking for a tampon. I I all I was doing was trying for a tampon. I thought I started my period and I had moved this girl's bag. I only paid her back because I didn't want anything to happen. I didn't want it to be put on me because I'm not that kind of person. >> I'm sorry. >> And the way she was talking to me like it felt like it was going to be >> Who was the sheep? Was it your manager or >> No, it was um a girl at the party that I guess she had messaged me and she said like, "I saw you the one doing that." >> Okay. Um what's this? What's this young lady like? >> I I didn't get to know her. Um I have it on my phone. I can show it to you. >> Okay. >> Um I think it started with an A, >> but she said like either way I'm going to like put legal. >> Okay. Where was this party? >> It was at um like a Event Center in Lake Mary. >> Lake Mary. Okay. >> Well, we appreciate it, but that's not necessarily why we're here today. We're here because you're being accused of theft. However, the theft is not in regards to that part. It's in regards to something that's happened here today. >> Okay. >> So, you have a manager um who advised us that well, not manager, you have one of your other co-workers >> who advised us that they left a certain amount of dollars and very identifying marks >> on that and you were the only person in the store. >> Okay. So, >> she also has the receipts of the opening of when the drawer was opened, what exact time. >> Okay. >> So, I'm going to talk to see what she wants to do. Okay. Um, at this moment, I said she's a legend. It's a little bit. Like I said, for me, honesty is the best policy. Only thing I can do with the rest. So with with with situations that have happened, especially with things like death, you know, I can't promise you that, but you don't have a record. So that's there's no pattern there. Now that the situation out of Lake Mary, we don't that has nothing to do with us. >> Yeah. >> We're only here for for this that happened today and the stuff is happening all the time. Okay. So like I said, you know, it's not for us to sit there and be like, "Hey, you know, you did this to come and like that." Now it's wrong. you have to be accountable for it, right? But it's not a situation where, like I said, it's not foreseeable that you could have a future after this. Okay? So, I'm going to go talk with her. Um, and then uh I'll be cuz I don't want you to go back in there and I'll be better. And I have to tell you at this moment, you're being placed in investigative detention. I'm not going to put you in cuffs or nothing like that right now. >> Because the questioning took place in a private backroom area where the suspect's movement was restricted, officers correctly recognized the interaction as a custodial interrogation under Burkimer v. McCarti. Administering the warning ensured full compliance with Miranda vs. Arizona validating the suspect's voluntary waiver. Furthermore, when the suspect explicitly pointed officers to the specific pocket in her bag containing the cash, she provided clear voluntary consent under Schneckloth vast monte, waving Fourth Amendment warrant requirements for that search. At this stage in the footage, the suspect admits to taking small amounts, attempting to frame the incident as a minor monetary lapse. Do you think officers handled this initial questioning effectively by letting her talk or should suspects always invoke their right to remain silent immediately? Share your thoughts in the comments below. >> We'll get to that later. Okay, >> I have supported documentation. >> She uh can you have a seat for a minute? Of >> course. Have a seat. >> So, I'll just you have you have your customers. We'll do our best to get acquired. Okay. That's that's going to you >> the $5 >> that was given to me from her. So I owe her money for copy the five samples. I guess that's something charges. >> Yes, I do. And if I added it up, it's $1,000 that's been going on. You're breaking my freaking heart. I have the documentation in my car. I wasn't prepared to turn it over cuz I was trying to rule it out, but I'll show you what I was preparing for my insurance company. Okay, let's see. >> It's well over what she has here. I was hoping she would show it all what you took this morning and you didn't. So, no. Make it Let's make it not contentious. >> Well, I wouldn't. And where was the other where was the other bit? >> I I told him it was in that back pocket of my bag like which one? >> The one with the zipper >> right here? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Is that the rest of it from today or? >> Yes, sir. She put uh she put the J photograph. >> Is this all from this business? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. >> I'm going to put your keys back in your purse if you don't mind. >> Yes, that's fine. You think that much money is going to go missing and nobody's going to notice? I mean, this it ain't 20 bucks. >> I'm going to look out my door and then tell you what I had. >> All right. >> All right. What's your name? >> All right. Y do me a favor. Stand up. >> Right now, you're going to be placed under the rest of the devil. Okay. Do me a favor. Lift your hands up. anything. I'm not going to search you anything. I'll let them do that. Okay. >> 13 1360. Does that sound right? >> 751 250. >> Does that sound right, ma'am? 1360. >> I did. Okay. >> So, it was only the one time before this. She took me like 300. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Cuz I was making good money before and I was working a little lower. >> So, she cut your hours or something. Is there a reason why she did that? to me. I feel like it was because I wasn't doing anything right. [music] So, like kind of sucked. But I'm like going to jail. >> Mhm. Because um when she first called us, she made she gave us a number and you would have gotten a notice to appear because >> you would you could have got >> Yeah, that's our supervisor, ma'am. You would have got a notice. Sorry, memory stuff. I called you that on paper. >> You can just look at all of it. You can have it. Um, >> and that 22,000 doesn't calculate. >> No, cuz I didn't know what to do. I actually came in cuz I was planning on just interviewing her, >> right? >> She was not originally who I thought it was going to be. I was very shocked. I I got it down to just I ruled out everybody but her and another girl. And I actually just thought it was the other girl to be honest. I'm not going to lie to you. But now looking at all this evidence and the time clocks when she was here, it all lines up. Make sense? >> Do you recollect any of those things? >> Okay. >> How much do you think you've taken over the years? >> It's just this year, by the way. >> It's just this year. >> How many? >> Under Wyoming statute section 63-42, grand theft of property valued at $1,000 or more carries felony penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Crucially, subsection H allows for the aggregation of multiple individual thefts committed under a continuous scheme into a single unified charge. While the suspect claimed to have taken only around $300 during this incident, the owner's register logs, shift schedules, and financial records compiled total losses exceeding $22,000 over several months. That statutory aggregation doctrine instantly elevated what the suspect assumed was a minor misdemeanor into a highle felony prosecution. >> Um try to keep away from you know general publicution. Um, like I said, I talked