The district manager of a Wayne County chain of bagel shops stole more than $25,000 from cash registers over the course of about nine months, according to a criminal complaint.
On Sept. 22, the owner of Vinny’s Original Brooklyn Bagels told state police that Jennifer Villani, 45, was caught on surveillance video taking cash from the register at the business’s Hawley shop, one of its three locations. Vincent Nicoletti told state police he believed Villani had stolen from all three of his shops.
Villani, of Lake Ariel, would ring customers up and collect money owed, but then delete the transaction and pocket the money, according to the criminal complaint.
Included in the police affidavit are several examples of ways in which Villani was caught on surveillance video completing the thefts at the company’s three sites.
For example, on Aug. 9 at the Honesdale location, Villani could be seen taking money from underneath the register’s change drawer, adding to her tips and placing it in her pocket.
On Aug. 20, also at the Honesdale location, Villani can be seen placing some of the money from the register in a bag in preparation for deposit, but also adding some of the money to her tips and placing it in her pocket.
On Aug. 31, she can be seen moving money from the register to the tip jar and then placing the money in her purse, which was hanging behind her.
After the owner provided the point-of-sale records, it was determined that between Jan. 9 and Sept. 23, Villani opened the register 3,400 times without recording a cash sale.
Additionally, records show that between Jan. 9 and Sept. 20 she deleted items totaling $25,236.48.
Owners are still reviewing surveillance footage and believe Villani may have stolen as much as $50,000, the complaint states.
Investigators interviewed several employees of the business. They told officers they had noticed Villani leaving the register open, not cashing out the register and using others’ personal logins.
She also solicited others for pills, they said.
Villani faces a felony charge of theft. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 26 before District Judge Bonnie L. Carney.