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Crime & Safety

Little Italy Employee Fired & Charged with Theft

He confessed he "borrowed" money from the restaurant's cash box.

A 39-year-old employee was charged with theft Tuesday after confessing to taking $558 from a locked cash box in the restaurant, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report. James Hanley was found by police wearing a Little Italy T-shirt after owner Frank Cortese noticed the missing funds and called the police.

According to the report, Hanley confessed when he was brought back to the Lumpkin Street location, whereupon Cortese fired him and told him to leave the restaurant. Cortese said only two employees had keys to the cash box. Hanley said he'd taken the money on Monday to pay bills and intended to pay the money back.

A similar situation occurred May 9, when the cash box was removed. Cortese said then that only employees knew the location of the box.

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