Home / Crime and Justice / Florida Employee's Discount Scheme Costs Best Buy $118K
Florida Employee's Discount Scheme Costs Best Buy $118K
17 Feb
Summary
- Employee allegedly used manager's code for deep discounts.
- Nearly 150 items were discounted and resold.
- Best Buy incurred over $118,000 in losses.
Matthew Lettera, an experience manager at Best Buy in Florida, faces fraud charges after an alleged scheme costing the company over $118,000. Beginning in March 2024, Lettera reportedly used his manager's code to offer steep discounts on approximately 150 items, including MacBooks reduced by as much as 99 percent. These heavily discounted goods were then purchased by Lettera and associates and subsequently pawned.
Suspicion arose in December 2024 when managers noticed unusual sales figures. Private investigators traced the discrepancies back to Lettera. His arrest followed police tracking some of the discounted laptops to local pawn shops. Sales records from these shops allegedly confirmed Lettera sold the items, profiting from the exploited discount system.
This incident highlights growing concerns about employee theft in retail. A 2023 report indicated increased employee theft during inflationary periods and noted that high turnover stressed employees, creating opportunities for fraud. Notably, in the month prior to the article's publication, another Best Buy employee in Georgia was implicated in a shoplifting ring, assisting in the theft of over $40,000 in merchandise.
