Hunter
10/19/21
A Cedar Rapids woman was taken into custody after allegedly stealing from her Iowa City employer.
Police say they were called to the Walmart on Highway 1 West on reports of an employee theft. Loss prevention told them that 54-year-old Dipika Bhatt of K Avenue Northeast works at the customer service desk, and it was brought to their attention that she had an unusually large number of refunds on her credit card.
A check of store surveillance video showed Bhatt making purchases, and then while working at the customer service desk, would scan her receipt and the money from the purchase would be returned to her credit card. Bhatt, however, kept the merchandise.
The store estimates that Bhatt had over 30 returns totaling over $800 using this method. She was taken into custody and charged with 3rd degree Theft, an aggravated misdemeanor. If convicted, Bhatt faces a jail sentence of up to two years.