Clefairy would never. This heist, reported on by Iowa's KTIV, is unreal. Mitch William Gross, 34, was sentenced to four months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for committing wire fraud. He defrauded his employer, Ruan Construction Corp, of $146,590 in roughly a year, from September 2021 to October 2022.
There's never a good reason to steal almost $150,000 from your employer, but this case is making news here because Gross admitted to spending most of the money on prepaid gift cards, gaming items, and Pokémon cards.
According to the authorities, he used company credits for his illicit purchases, and would then falsify reports to make the spending look legitimate. He got away with it for a year, so perhaps the authorities should hire him. It does take a certain skill to convince anyone your $500 Pikachu deck is actually a few hundred dollars' worth of gasoline and oil.
After his release, he'll be under three years of supervision, so a parole officer will check in and make sure he's fulfilling the conditions set forth by the court. It's not uncommon for them to put restrictions on people pertaining to their charge. I wonder if he'll be banned for buying Pokemon or gaming-related items.
The debate about gaming addiction is a complex one, but one of the telltale signs is usually stealing money to feed an addiction. This case certainly seems like it qualifies. Obviously, you wouldn't want this guy working at your local card shop or video game store.