Police: Benson Employee Linked To About $13,000 In Store Losses
BENSON, N.C. – A former employee of a downtown Benson hardware store has been arrested on felony charges after police allege he used fraudulent merchandise returns to take approximately $13,000 from the business.
Matthew Dylan Norris, 25, of Elton Lane, Benson, was arrested Aug. 19 by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office on warrants obtained by Benson Police charging him with five counts of larceny by employee.
Norris had worked at Medlin & Dorman Ace Hardware, 216 E. Main Street, from July 2025 until June 2026.
The investigation began in June after the business reported suspected employee theft to Benson Police.
Police said a review of store records and surveillance video identified more than 100 alleged fraudulent cash-register transactions during Norris’ employment.
Security video from Medlin & Dorman Ace Hardware allegedly shows Matthew Dylan Norris removing cash from a register and placing it in his pocket. The footage is one of more than 100 suspected fraudulent transactions linked to the 25-year-old former employee.
Investigators allege Norris would enter fraudulent merchandise returns into the register, then remove the corresponding amount of cash. In other instances, police say he took cash directly from the register while making change for customers.
Police estimate approximately $13,000 was taken during the period under investigation. The five felony charges currently filed against Norris, however, only involve approximately $700 in alleged cash thefts.
Norris was released after a bondsman posted his $20,000 secured bond. He is awaiting his next court appearance.
Discover more from JoCo Report
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Thief
Throw the Book at him!!!
It’s all fun and games until your face shows up on the JoCo Report.
How freaking embarrassing to have this on the internet! You know I wonder if this post will be one of the main deterrents from people doing something like this again. Not only is he a thief, he’s a horrible one. His little grab and slip technique was trash. What a idiot.
Gotta love it.
Arrogant Officer that is above the law.
What are you going on about this doesn’t have anything to do with a police officer?
RE READ HE WASNT A OFFICER
It’s a good thing that thieves are generally stupid.
When whoever is making the deposit at night notices that there’s gradually cash short every day, there’s eventually going to be a reckoning . It’s not too difficult to conclude that they’d probably search the work schedule to see who it is that is always on duty when the cash shows up short.
$1000 a month short every month is going to get someone’s attention. It’s hard enough for a merchant to make a profit these days, without thieves.
What’s sad is that it took three months and 13K dollars before the manager realized someone was taking money.