Boost Mobile employees arrested for stealing from business and customers

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Jauquilise A. Curry, 27, and Zachary Krom Grainger, 24, were arrested yesterday at the Boost Mobile store at 3439 W. University Avenue after an internal investigation produced evidence that they had been systematically stealing money from both the business and its customers.

According to the arrest report, a Boost Mobile manager had methodically compiled evidence that an unusual number of cell phone activation fees were being refunded from both the University Avenue and Newberry Road stores. The manager said that these were unusual both because cell phones were usually not returned along with the activation fees in those transactions and because almost half of the activation fee refunds from the 22 stores in the ownership group came from the two local stores. The fraudulent transactions allegedly began in February 2022, when Curry worked at the Newberry Road store and Grainer worked at the University Avenue store, but they both worked at the University Avenue store beginning in mid-March. The manager told police that the returns at the Newberry Road store went back to normal levels when Curry transferred to the University Avenue store.

The main scam allegedly perpetrated by the two employees was to process a customer return, “doctor” the amount of the return, then pocket the cash. The manager found video evidence, including audio, that reportedly showed one of the two employees (sometimes both) processing the returns and putting cash in their wallets. In at least one audio clip, according to the arrest report, the employees reportedly can be heard “verbally discussing the scam and ‘fixing’ the numbers. Both also proceed to do a fraudulent return at the same time without realizing the other was doing it. Both then verbalize it afterward. Both were clearly unaware that the surveillance cameras, which are right behind them, are also recording audio.”

A second scam allegedly involved selling merchandise at the regular price, then doing an exchange at a discounted price after the customer left and pocketing the difference.

A third scam allegedly involved adding an activation fee to customers who looked like they would be paying with cash, then pocketing the activation fees. According to the arrest report, “the activation fees don’t really apply but the customers were tricked into thinking they did.”

The manager said that based only on the “slam-dunk” transactions that were unquestionably fraudulent, Curry allegedly stole over $3,000 from the store, and Grainger allegedly stole over $7,000 from the store. More transactions may still be identified.

Curry has been charged with grand theft under $5,000 and fraud under $20,000 dollars and was released on his own recognizance. Grainger has been charged with grand theft under $10,000 and fraud under $20,000 and was released on his own recognizance.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.