Waitress Gets a Big Tip: 5 Years Probation
Prosecutors had estimated losses of around $28,000
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This time it was a waitress’ turn to get served and prosecutors gave a her a big tip: five years probation and a $3,000 fine. The former Hamburger Hamlet employee pleaded no contest to 34 felony counts of identity theft and credit card fraud after she was caught steeling customers credit card information, according to Deputy District Attorney James Toro.
April DuBoise, 29, used a "wedge" -- a small skimming device that reads and stores data from a credit card for downloading to a computer -- over a 1 1/2-month period while working in early 2006 at the Hamburger Hamlet restaurant at 2927 Sepulveda Blvd. in West Los Angeles.
DuBoise, who had no previous criminal record, sold the information to an unidentified man, resulting in unauthorized charges being made on credit cards, according to former City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo.
Prosecutors had estimated losses of around $28,000, but in court papers filed Thursday, Toro said that figure "appears to be a gross underestimation of the true damage caused by the defendant."
According to the director of operations for the Hamlet Restaurant Group, the case received nationwide publicity, forcing the Hamburger Hamlet to close due to lack of business, costing 50 employees their jobs.
