BURNHAM - Daniel E. Stokes, 41, of 218 Sixth Ave., Burnham, will be receiving a summons for theft and receiving stolen property as a result of an investigation involving theft from Tony's Restaurant adjacent to Quality Inn Suites in Burnham, Mifflin County Regional Police report.
Police said on April 21, the owners of the Quality Inn Suites contacted police regarding a theft at the hotel, following the review of a surveillance tape showing what Stokes had been doing at the restaurant earlier that morning. Stokes, who was the restaurant supervisor, was seen on video removing two cases of beer from the storage cooler at the restaurant and then placing them in his vehicle, without paying, prior to leaving, police said.
At the time of the incident, Stokes was not scheduled for work, police said. During an interview, Stokes said he was at the restaurant stocking the coolers for the evening's events and that he actually stocked two 6-packs of beer at the bar coolers, but surveillance video showed Stokes walked directly outside to his vehicle with the beer and did not stock the coolers, police said. The video showed Stokes as he walked behind the bar area, but he did not have any beer in his possession, according to the report.
During the investigation, officers learned from employees that Stokes was also taking unprepared food from the kitchen without paying for it before leaving in the evening, police said. Stokes was also observed not paying for his drinks, along with drinks he would give patrons as gifts, without permission from the business owners and against business policies, police said. Stokes told employees who worked under him that he had permission from the owners to drink for free due to excessive hours of uncompensated work, according to the report.
Employees said that on many occasions Stokes would void his own bar tabs as well as the tabs of others, and he also prepared appetizers for patrons without charging them and that he also prepared meals for himself without paying prior to and during his employment at the restaurant, police said.
The investigation also revealed money missing from a deposit of a banquet, as well as missing bar merchandise that was given to the restaurant by vendors to display at the restaurant, police said. Bartenders witnessed Stokes giving patrons these items without permission from owners, police said.
Stokes denied any knowledge of the missing items nor the location of the items when questioned by the owners, police said.
Police said Stokes will be receiving a summons in the mail from the office of Magisterial District Judge Aaron L. Gingrich for theft and receiving stolen property as a result of the investigation as soon as the total amount of damage is calculated.
