Dealership Employee, Spouse Charged in Theft

A Garden Grove car dealership says an employee and her husband stole nearly $65,000 by routing fake refund checks to themselves over several years. (mynewsla.com) Orange County prosecutors charged Brian Michael Jones, 48, with 10 felony counts of grand theft, and he pleaded not guilty Wednesday in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. (mynewsla.com) Prosecutors also charged Jones’ wife, 47-year-old Susan Jones, with one felony count of grand theft in the same case tied to Garden Grove Nissan. (mynewsla.com) The accusation centers on dealership refund checks — money a business sends back to customers when a payment is reversed or an overcharge is corrected. Prosecutors say those checks were instead issued as bogus refunds and diverted to the couple. (mynewsla.com) According to the criminal case described in the report, the alleged thefts added up to $64,846.70. The money was allegedly taken while Susan Jones worked at the dealership. (mynewsla.com) The case is now in Orange County Superior Court, where felony grand theft charges can move from arraignment to preliminary hearings and later trial or plea negotiations. California courts say county superior courts handle criminal matters, including felonies, through local case-access systems. (occourts.org) (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov) Orange County court records are available through the court’s online services, though public access can be limited depending on the case and document type. That means the next public milestones are likely to be future hearings in Santa Ana unless the case is resolved earlier. (occourts.org)