A former Chick-fil-A employee in Texas has been charged with orchestrating an unusual fraud scheme that cost the fast-food chain $80,000 — all through refunding hundreds of trays of mac-and-cheese to his personal credit cards.
The Grapevine Police Department said the 23-year-old suspect, identified by US media as Keyshun Jones, had been fired a month earlier. He allegedly returned to the restaurant, slipped behind the counter, and used the point-of-sale system to ring up 800 catering-sized portions of the cheesy pasta dish. He then processed refunds for the total amount, funneling the money back to his own accounts.
Police attempted to arrest Jones multiple times before finally taking him into custody on April 17. He faces charges of property theft, money laundering, and evading arrest. Court records show he is currently held at Green Bay prison in Fort Worth, Texas. The New York Times reported that Jones's lawyer declined to comment.
Surveillance footage released by the restaurant shows Jones wearing a brown puffer vest, blue jeans, and a backward white cap — notably not the chain's branded red polo uniform. The motive behind his firing remains unclear.
A large tray of Chick-fil-A's mac-and-cheese costs around $100 depending on location and packs nearly 10,000 calories. The suspect was eventually apprehended through a joint effort by the Texas Attorney General's Fugitive Task Force and the Fort Worth Police Department. The BBC has reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment.