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Crime & Safety

Woman Charged in Movie Theater Theft Makes Appearance in Court

Preliminary hearing scheduled for June 27 to determine if Racine woman will stand trial.

A 19-year-old movie theater employee accused of stealing more than $4,200 from moviegoers will have a preliminary hearing June 27 to determine if she will stand trial.

Nicole M. Lafever, of Racine, made her initial appearance in Racine County Circuit Court Tuesday on one charge of theft of more than $2,500 from a business setting. If convicted, she faces up to 3 Β½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

According to a police report from the Sturtevant Police Department:

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While working as a member of the box office staff at , Lafever would supposedly charge cash customers the full adult price of $9.50 but ring up their tickets at a senior discount for $6 and pocket the difference. She kept track of how many times she ran the scam during her shift with simple tick marks. At the end of her shift, she would take the cash so her drawer would balance when it was counted.

The theft started in January or February, and some nights would net her $300, she reportedly admitted to police.

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Theater management caught on to Lafever's scheme when they counted her drawer before she had a chance to take the cash. During the course of their internal investigation, managers told officers, they compared Lafever's receipts with those of other employees' and estimated that Lafever stole $4,245. Marcus security personnel told police that Lafever was cooperative when they confronted her with their evidence.

Sturtevant Police interviewed Lafever on April 25 at the theater, and she allegedly admitted to the whole thing. She told investigators she started stealing because of a couple of tickets, but kept doing it because she didn't think she would get caught.

Laferver is free on a $2,500 signature bond while awaiting trial.Β 

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