Former Store Employee Admits to Stealing from Employer

MOUNTAIN HOME, AR. - A young woman who used to work at Town and Country Foods in Mountain Home has admitted to stealing from the store. Mackenzie Hayes, 21, of Flippin, pleaded guilty in court on March 2 to charges related to stealing lottery tickets and faking customer returns.

As a result of her plea, Hayes has been placed on probation for two years. She has also been ordered to pay back $1,500 to the store as restitution for the money she took.

According to court documents, Hayes would take lottery tickets from the store. She would then scratch them to see if they were winners. If a ticket won, she would cash it in and keep the money for herself.

While store management was reviewing security camera footage related to the lottery ticket thefts, they discovered another way Hayes was stealing. The videos showed her making up fake product returns. She would then keep the refund money that should have gone back to a customer.

When a police investigator from Mountain Home looked into the case, store managers reportedly confronted Hayes. At that time, she gave them $175 of the store's money that she had in her purse.

It is believed that Mackenzie Hayes stole approximately $1,500 in total from Town and Country Foods and the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.