Manager accused of embezzling $130K+ from northern Michigan Mancino's Pizza and Grinders restaurants
James Warren Lake
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A general manager is accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from two Mancino's Pizza and Grinders restaurants in northern Michigan.
According to Michigan State Police, James Warren Lake, 54, had worked for Mancino's for 30 years and was the general manager of two Traverse City stores. Police were contacted in January after the owner noticed a "catastrophic difference" between the reward program utilization at the stores.
While investigating, police discovered that more than 99% of all the reward program transactions were done with one computer and that computer was in Lake’s office. Police said the rewards were being back entered into transactions and cash was being removed from the tills to correlate the rewards being entered.
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Lake is accused of stealing more than $130,000 since 2019.
He was arrested March 1 and charged with embezzlement over $100,000. Lake has been charged as a habitual offender. He was given a $25,000 personal bond.