Following an in-depth investigation by the Houston Police Department, a Houston woman is in custody after allegedly scamming the retail store where she was employed out of thousands of dollars over a period of more than a year.
Texas County Prosecuting Attorney Mike Anderson on Aug. 20 filed felony charges of forgery and stealing over $500 but less than $25,000 against Kathy L. Durham, 52, of 101 Acorn St. in Houston. Durham was arrested Saturday at her home after calling authorities and indicating she wanted to be picked up.
She is accused of having falsified hundreds of refund transactions at Orscheln Farm and Home beginning in the spring of 2010.
Houston Police Chief Jim McNiell said that he and officer Brad Evans were contacted Jan. 12 by an Orscheln loss prevention officer, who indicated an internal investigation was being conducted regarding a former employee. Evans proceeded to conduct a lengthy investigation.
McNiell said the Orscheln representative stated that based on audits, a total of 450 questionable refund transactions dating back to May of 2010 and amounting to more than $9,000 were being examined, all of which allegedly involved Durham.
Evans’ investigation revealed that Durham’s method of operation involved fabricating transactions and signatures, sometimes using entirely fabricated names, but also at times using real names, according to a police report. For transactions that required a shift manager’s initials, Durham would reportedly forge them.
McNiell said that he and Evans discussed every suspicious transaction with Durham, and she admitted to being responsible for 296, amounting to more than $6,000. Some of the real names she used in the scam were those of residents of the local community. McNiell said the investigation included contacting those people, many of whom stated they had not been involved in a purchase or refund at Orscheln matching the one in question.
Durham, who McNiell said was cooperative during the investigation, took a leave of absence from Orscheln last year and was terminated Dec. 6. She is being held at the Texas County Jail on $200,000 bond.
“It’s an unfortunate thing,” McNiell said, “but it involved some very good investigative work by officer Evans.”