Former Texas Chick-fil-A employee charged in $80K refund scheme using mac and cheese

A former employee of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Grapevine, Texas, has been taken into custody following a sophisticated internal theft investigation.

Authorities have charged the individual, identified as Keyshun Jones, with property theft, money laundering, and evading arrest.

The investigation began after the restaurant owner reported significant financial discrepancies to the Grapevine Police Department.

Surveillance footage reportedly captured Jones, who had been terminated from his position a month earlier, accessing the restaurant's point-of-sale system while unattended.

Investigators allege that Jones utilized the registers to process 800 separate orders for mac and cheese trays.

He then systematically refunded these transactions directly to his personal credit cards to siphon funds from the business.

This elaborate scheme resulted in a total loss exceeding $80,000 for the franchise location.

Police noted that the suspect's familiarity with the store's internal operations allowed him to bypass standard security protocols during the incident, which occurred in November 2025.

Following the discovery of the theft, Jones reportedly evaded law enforcement efforts to apprehend him for several months.

His ability to avoid capture necessitated a coordinated multi-agency response to bring him to justice.

The search for the suspect concluded on April 17, 2026, when he was finally located and arrested.

This operation was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Texas Attorney General’s Fugitive Task Force and the Fort Worth Police Department.

The case highlights the ongoing challenges businesses face regarding internal security and the potential for former employees to exploit knowledge of operational systems.

Retailers are increasingly reviewing their digital access controls to prevent similar fraudulent refund activities from occurring in the future.

Jones remains in custody as the legal process moves forward.

The Grapevine Police Department continues to work with the restaurant owners to ensure all evidence is processed for the upcoming court proceedings.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of immediate access revocation for terminated staff members.

Local authorities have encouraged business owners to maintain rigorous oversight of their financial systems to mitigate the risk of such high-value internal fraud.