Ex-Kroger employee accused in store thefts | Bryan/College Station, Texas

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Published Wednesday, January 07, 2009 6:05 AM

Ex-Kroger employee accused in store thefts

By CASSIE SMITH
cassie.smith@theeagle.com

A former grocery store employee is facing up to two years in jail after being accused of stealing drinks, cigarettes and thousands of dollars from his employer.

Kenneth Ray Hunt Jr., 19, of College Station, was charged Monday with theft of property between $1,500 and $20,000, a state jail felony.

College Station police said Hunt worked at Kroger on Texas Avenue from Aug. 7 to Oct. 20, and had been stealing from the store since the day he started.

Store managers began noticing that cash, merchandise and gas were missing after some of Hunt's shifts, according to the police report.

Kroger officials began reviewing transactions made by Hunt while he worked at the store's gas station, police said. The audit showed Hunt had a large number of voided transactions, as well as an excessive number of gas drive-offs, according to the police report.

After being questioned by management, Hunt admitted to stealing from the store, officials said. He told investigators that he would complete cash transactions from gas station customers, void the transaction after the gas had been pumped and pocket the money, according to the police report.

If he didn't void the transaction, he would report the missing money as a gas drive-off, police said.

Hunt also admitted to taking cigarettes and beverages from the coolers in the gas station, according to police reports.

Hunt said he stole the items because he was "trying to make it on his own," according to police reports. He spent the money on bills and food, according to reports.

Hunt took about $4,000 in cash, $363 worth of cigarettes and $95 worth of drinks, according to police reports.

Kroger representatives refused to comment Tuesday.

Hunt was released from the Brazos County Jail on $5,340 bail Tuesday.

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20 comment(s) found!

Posted by: Kenneth ray hunt jr On: 1/12/2009

Comment Title: this is the kenneth hunt this is about
yes i know i messed up yes i was trying to feed my self and i understand i am standing in front of a 2 years in jail time but look i understand that i fudged up but look i want everyone to understand one thing i wish i could fix it all yes some of you are right and same as the others yall are right too but understand this i am a good person none the less but i am in the works of paying kroger back as i type this and i am now just trying to make an honest liveing now being in jail for the time i was in it SCARED THE ever loveing crap out of me and i told every one that i saw in there cops mostly that you will never see me agian if i can help it probation something just please dont send me to jail

Posted by: On: 1/9/2009

Comment Title:
Typical College Station High School drop out. Takin the easy way out.

Posted by: String the varmit up On: 1/9/2009

Comment Title:

Posted by: JWG On: 1/8/2009

Comment Title: Knuckleheads
He's 19. Just a kid. Nowhere in there does it say he needed drug money, or abortion money, or money for his anchor babies. He screwed up. I know, I know, all eagle posters in here are church-going, non-sinning, never-do-wrong perfect angels. Hopefully he learned his lesson. Sounds like a good kid - heck, at least he admitted it all. He could have lied all the way to the end. Give him a break, and let him pay the price. Put up your pitch forks, torches and ropes for cryin out loud...

Posted by: On: 1/8/2009

Comment Title: romeii free
romeii stole 500,000 and didn't go to jail why should this kid? white men don't go to jail for stealing why should this kid, romeii stole more than him

Posted by: David On: 1/8/2009

Comment Title: sarcasm
to the responder of the "let him be' comment.. that comment was clearly sarcasm. they were making a statement on how society is training kids to believe that they deserve everything even if they don't work for it. Same thing towards the bottom of the blog

Posted by: Had Enough On: 1/8/2009

Comment Title: Confused about....
....and had been stealing from the store since the day he started. So NO TRAINING, NO SUPERVISION, NO CHECKS AND BALANCES. All this done properly would have cost a lot less than than what was taken....so don'try to blame ALL your shrinkage on one individual. The public should remember that what this company did not spend on this employee was put into their pocket. And now that the money is gone, their insurance will cover the loss, but they will not hesitate to double dip and pass on the expense to their customers....Happy Shopping!!!!

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Let the boy be
Now I understand how this type of person is made. For you to sit there and say that, I just hope you do not have any kids of your own. I can understand a person trying to make it on his own for that is what a lot of us do. How else is there to make it no one is going to make it for you. This young man was not trying to make it on his own because he was stealing what was someone else's. Your message is not a very good one.

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Let the boy be...!
Y'all leave that boy alone...he was just tryin' to "make it on his own"....who can blame him for that ? Besides, Kroger's has plenty money and they should "share the wealth."....!

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title:
jamie@cs does not patronize this Kroger because a little old granny lady was mugged in the parking lot. also she does not patronize whataburger because of the incident a week or so ago. and of course anything to do with the brazos valley arts council is out of the question.

Posted by: thats right im a CS resident too !! On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: haha james@bryan
i wonder how come our friend jamie@cs has not commented on this today, and all of the other people who tend to all think that crime only exsists in bryan, looks like there is yet one more crime in college station, i bet ya'll all buy your gas at krogers too -- so are you to scared to go there now since everyone who commits a crime is a horrible gangbanger?? good luck on finding a new gas station hahahaa!!

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Re: An education
You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink the water. I'm sure CSISD did all it could to prepare this youngster for the real world.

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title:
This seems like an ideal case for probation and restitution except: where will this lad get a job now? will he earn enough to survive and make restitution? Maybe his folks would make restitution to keep him out of jail. It costs the taxpayer '000's per year to house convicts.

Posted by: James@Bryan On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Sad
I hope that this College Station criminal has learned a lesson.

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Should have known better
i agree with ... Should have known...the boy needs a education. like a real man suppose to do in life not some make believe life ...your not only gonna suffer your family once you get married your kids gonna suffer IF YOU dont get a education..that way you can hold your head up with the best of them ...i am not be stuck up so dont go getting the wrong ideal...

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Should have known
I came across this person when I was getting my gas from Krogers one day, he was very rude. For the comment a man has to have a blunt and soda water, no what a real man needs to have is an education. That way he can find a job that pays him enough were he does not have to steal.

Posted by: New Kroger Fan On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: Way to go, Kroger!
It makes me sick when stores fail to prosecute thieves (employees OR customers) because of the perception of bad publicity. Thieves cause prices to rise, and honest customers foot the bill. I'll drive out of my way now to shop at Krogers. It isn't Krogers job to rehabilitate anyone, or give second (or third, or fourth) chances to thieves - they are taking care of their customers.

Posted by: Twisted Sister On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title: The DA will throw the book at him
Unless his name is Romei or something like that the DA will put him under the jail for this offense.

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title:
Just trying to make it on my own.... A man's gotta have his blunts and soda water...

Posted by: On: 1/7/2009

Comment Title:
Kenny always was an independent person at A&M Consolidated High School and was a polite boy. I can't imagine what made him think he could get away with this. I hope this and a probated sentence straightens him out.