Yakima Fiesta Foods Employees Charged in $72K Theft

Yakima Police say three employees of Fiesta Foods are facing charges for allegedly stealing $72,000 from the local business over the last year.

A COUPON SCAM SUSPECTED

Officers were called to the store, at 1008 E Nob Hill Blvd. last Friday after the Loss Prevention Officer called police to report the three had been involved in coupon scam from January of 2025 until January of 2026. According to a court affidavit from the Yakima County Prosecutor's Office the employees would enter a transaction "such as 100 coupons for a $5 amount on a single transaction and then pocket the money from the till."

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THE TILL WOULD APPEAR "EVEN" AT THE END OF THE DAY

Authorities say the cash register or till would appear even at the end of the day because the system would count the fraud coupons and subtract those from the total that was supposed to appear in the till. It's not known how store officials spotted the fraud transactions.

ALL THREE CONFESSED TO BEING INVOLVED IN THE ALLEDGED SCAM

Police say on any given month over the last year the three employees would use the system to steal thousands of dollars totaling $72,000 over the last 12 months. They say all three signed confessions and admitted to authorities they were involved in the fraud.

MONEY USED FOR BILLS, RENT AND FAMILY HELP

All three admitted using the money for rent and other bills. One of the employees told police they were stealing the money and sending it to Mexico to help family members.
All three were arrested and face First and Second Degree theft charges. It's unknown if they were booked into the Yakima County jail.
The investigation by Yakima Police continues today.