St Andrew Food Store Workers Charged Over Alleged $1.8 Million Refund Fraud

Three workers at a food store on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew are facing embezzlement charges after police say they carried out a months-long refund scam that removed close to $1.8 million from the business.

Joedi Kay Harrison, 35, of Dunoon Road, Kingston 2; Tanese Wade, 39, of Mount Friendship, Mount James, St Andrew; and Nickeisha Evans, 46, of Darley Crescent, St Andrew, have all been charged in connection with the alleged theft.

Investigators say the fraud is believed to have run from October 2025 through April 2026. Police allege that Harrison, who worked as a cashier supervisor, acted together with Wade and Evans to take $1,766,765.78 from the store.

Officers say the women processed refund transactions for customer purchases even though no customers had requested refunds. After those entries were made, investigators allege, the trio removed the matching cash from the registers and kept it.

Reports indicate the store owner noticed inconsistencies in the business's cash records and started an internal review. That inquiry, police say, pointed to the involvement of the three employees. The matter was later reported to law enforcement.

Following police investigations, Harrison, Wade, and Evans were taken into custody and formally charged. Their court dates are still being finalised.