Woman charged after allegedly embezzling over $17,000 from local hardware store
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REXBURG — A 25-year-old woman is facing criminal charges after allegedly embezzling over $17,000 from a local hardware store where she worked.
McKenzie Riniker is charged with felony grand theft by embezzlement and felony computer crime. The case was filed in January, and the alleged thefts happened in 2023.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Rexburg Police Department, Riniker was a former employee at Ace Hardware in Rexburg.
The report
In October, the owner of Ace Hardware reported to police that Riniker had used a company credit card to purchase personal items, court documents said.
Riniker was the office manager and was assigned a credit card for company purchases, the owner reported. He said he started seeing that the finances were, “not adding up.” He learned the card Riniker was assigned had multiple purchases for things that were not company-related.
The owner told police the policy was if a purchase was made, a receipt was supposed to be turned in. He said Riniker turned in “very few” receipts compared to the purchases she was making, court documents said.
The charges
The total amount of personal purchases using the company card was reported as $17,071.64.
The card was used on approximately 160 separate occasions for personal purchases, including online purchases using a computer, documents said.
The owner told police Riniker was over payroll, and on at least six different occasions, Riniker reimbursed herself for things that were “not authorized” or “even existed.”
He said the reimbursements were around $200 each time, documents said.
Police talk with her
In November, the officer spoke with Riniker, who was living in Washington at that time. He explained police were looking into a case and investigating a theft and wanted to visit with her about it. He asked if it was possible for her to come back to Rexburg to talk about it.
Riniker said it would be financially difficult and asked what it was about, documents said. The officer asked her if she had an idea on what the case was about.
The only thing she could think of, was her last employer Ace Hardware, documents said. She said she had accidentally used the company card for some personal purchases “maybe a couple of times.” Riniker said the company was aware of that, documents said.
After speaking with the Ace Hardware owner and management, the officer learned they were made aware, but it was during the same time they were looking into what happened and realized her involvement in the thefts, documents said.
What was found
The officer went through receipts and statements and got video surveillance from two separate businesses that showed Riniker physically using the card and purchasing things that were verified as not being for the business, documents said.
There is additional documentation showing on at least one occasion, Riniker purchased an Amazon gift card online using the business card showing it was from herself and then to herself, court documents said.
The officer contacted Riniker again to see if she would be willing to meet with police and she said she wanted an attorney before meeting.
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to Riniker’s attorney for a statement but we have not heard back.
Riniker was not arrested but is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Madison County courthouse.
Though Riniker has been charged with these crimes, this does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.