JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville police arrested two employees of Academy Sports on Atlantic Boulevard who are accused of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise from the sporting goods store.
Zeenat Baloch, 21, and Thida Seang, 24, are facing charges of retail theft of more than $3,000.
According to an arrest report, the pair came under suspicion from the store’s senior loss prevention officer, who noticed the two cashiers had been ringing up a lot of merchandise and then voiding the sales. The report stated surveillance video later showed both women ringing up items, voiding sales, placing items into bags and then leaving the store.
"This shows that their loss prevention people are on their job, doing checks and balances for people coming in as customers, as well as employees working there because employee theft actually outranks shoplifting," said News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson.
The report shows the trail of voided sales receipts dated back to early July.
According to the arrest report, the two women stole $7,890 worth of merchandise.
In addition, according to the arrest report, Seang and Baloch admitted to stealing $5,000 worth of clothing. The loss prevention officer told police that the lost revenue including what the two women self-reported came to $12,890.
The women told police they felt they were underpaid and underappreciated, the report shows.
"Even though they felt they were underpaid or underappreciated, all those things may be true with 75% to 80% of the jobs in America, but you just can’t decide that you’re going to steal from the company that is paying you," Jefferson said.
Both women, who had been employed at the store for two years, were fired after they were arrested Saturday.
A store employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told News4Jax that he was shocked because both women appeared to be hard workers.