BELMONT, N.C. — A manager at a restaurant in Belmont is facing felony charges after allegedly embezzling over $200,000, police said this weekend.
It happened at Nellie’s Southern Kitchen, which is owned by the Jonas family, of Jonas Brothers fame.
According to the Belmont Police Department, Joy Nichols Auten was arrested and charged with five felony counts of embezzlement by employee.
Detectives said Auten withdrew $251,986 from a business account when she only needed to cover about $29,000 in unpaid tips.
BPD says at least $93,039 in cash was deposited into Auten’s personal bank account. It’s not clear what happened to the rest of the money.
“This was a deliberate and calculated act that significantly impacted a beloved business in our community,” said Belmont Police Chief Boyce “Corky” Falls.
Falls said the department is still investigating. The department is asking anyone with more details to call 704-825-3792.
>>Channel 9′s Ken Lemon is digging into this story. Watch at 5 p.m. for the latest updates.
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