Apparently, even donuts can become evidence.
Portsmouth police were called to the Speedway on Gallia Street after management discovered an employee had allegedly been gaming the system to get discounted pastries.
According to the report, a manager investigated and determined the employee was changing donuts to “day old” pricing before purchasing them at the reduced cost.
In other words:
Fresh donuts were allegedly being turned into discount donuts with the push of a button.
The manager told police the employee was terminated and escorted off the property.
Police advised the business to contact its loss prevention department regarding the incident.
No formal criminal report was filed at the time.
🍩 YES, THIS COUNTS AS THEFT
While it may sound minor compared to major crimes, businesses absolutely can terminate employees for things like:
- Fake discounts
- Unauthorized markdowns
- Pocketing cash differences
- Free food giveaways
- Manipulating registers or inventory systems
And in some cases, people can face criminal charges too.
👀 WHY COMPANIES TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY
Retailers and convenience stores closely track:
- Discounted items
- Voids
- Employee purchases
- Register changes
- Inventory losses
Because small thefts add up fast over time.
⚠️ THE “IT’S JUST A DONUT” PROBLEM
Many workplace theft cases start with employees convincing themselves:
- “It’s no big deal.”
- “They’ll never notice.”
- “It’s just food.”
- “Everybody does it.”
But companies often view intentional register manipulation as dishonesty rather than simply taking merchandise.
And once trust is gone, the job usually is too.
🍩 THE REAL TAKEAWAY
If you want discounted donuts:
- Wait for the real markdown
- Use the app
- Buy the day-olds honestly
Because getting fired over pastries is probably not the career move anybody hopes to explain in their next interview.