Former employee arrested for fraud

26 year old Eric Ryan Vaughn is in custody pending $5,000.00 bond for charges stemming from a reported attempt to defraud a former employer by making unauthorized charges to the company’s account as well as two previous outstanding warrants.

According to the information reported to Deputy Michael Stevens, Vaughn was making purchases of copper tubing from a local distributor in St. Augustine and charging the purchases to his former employer’s account — after he was no longer employed and without the company’s permission.

Deputy Stevens was notified Thursday afternoon by Baker Distributing that Vaughn had completed another purchase transaction of two 50′ 7/8′ copper tubes which had been placed in the back of Vaughn’s truck. Deputy Stevens arrived on the scene and took Vaughn into custody on two outstanding and unrelated warrants; driving while license suspended or revoked and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Detective Graham Harris interviewed Vaughn about the numerous copper thefts throughout the county. Vaughn was charged with fraud for the purchase of the copper tubing Thursday. It was indicated in the incident report that Vaughn is accused of committing the same fraudulent practice four times; resulting in a loss to Vaughn’s former employer in excess of $3,000.00.