Rene Nichole Coleman, Jonesboro, Arkansas worker charged with theft after failing to report being overpaid by $20K after systems error bumped her pay from $16.50 per hour to $1,650 per hour for one 12-hour shift.
An honest mistake or theft? A care taker for seniors in Jonesboro, Arkansas has been arrested after she failed to report a payroll error which saw her pocket an additional $20K.
Rene Nichole Coleman, 50, was arrested after a payroll mistake led to a large overpayment. Coleman usually earned $16.50 per hour at her job working at Superior Senior Care, an in-home care company in Jonesboro, a city north of Memphis.
However, on May 10, 2025, a system error caused her pay rate to jump to $1,650 per hour for one 12-hour shift. Because of this mistake, she received nearly $19,400 instead of her normal wages.
Was care taker obligated to find the mistake that her employer caused?
When Coleman’s employers noticed the error, they alleged that she refused to repay them and had already spent the money on repairs to her husband’s semi-truck.
The company’s CEO then shared financial records and emails with police to prove that the payment was a mistake according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA Today.
A detective later contacted Coleman, and she initially agreed to speak with the police. But she did not show up for the meeting. Because of this, a warrant was issued for her arrest.
A warrant was then issued for her arrest, and she was taken into custody on April 4 under a $15,000 bond.
Is it criminal theft when worker refuses or is unable to return overpaid sums?
After reviewing the case, a judge found enough evidence to charge her with theft. The charge is for taking more than $5,000 but less than $25,000, which is considered a Class C felony.
It is unclear if Coleman was terminated from her position at the Superior Senior Care.
If convicted, Coleman faces between three and ten years in prison or a $10,000 fine. She has not yet entered a plea for the charge against her.
Her next court date is scheduled for May 18, where she will be arraigned. Craighead County District Judge David Boling is presiding over the case.
