LAPLACE – An employee of a LaPlace store who was allegedly caught giving away merchandise led the store manager to call authorities recently.

On Dec. 27 St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Cheap Smokes for a report detailing a former employee had stolen from the store.

Deputies spoke with the store manager who said he had recorded video surveillance of an employee passing merchandise to customers without charging them at all or with charging them less than the value of items.

The manager presented pages of itemized transaction reports that coincided with the recorded video surveillance. The reports show that the thefts occurred from Nov. 2 through Dec. 8.

The total value of merchandise stolen was $908.88.

Deputies sought and obtained a judicial court ordered arrest warrant for Stacey Evans, 45, of Orange Loop in LaPlace. Evans turned herself in to authorities and was booked with theft.

Evans bonded out of jail on a $2,500 bond.