An Arkansas woman is accused of holding onto nearly $20,000 that her employer accidentally paid her — and refusing to give it back.
Rene Nichole Coleman, 50, is facing a felony theft charge after she was mistakenly paid $1,650 an hour for a 12-hour shift at her now-former job with Superior Senior Care, an in-home care company in Jonesboro, a city north of Memphis.
Coleman normally earned $16.50 an hour before a payroll glitch suddenly sent her pay skyrocketing.
On May 10, 2025, she received an additional $19,388 into her bank account, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA Today in August 2025.
Her employer later caught the mistake and demanded the money back, but Coleman allegedly refused to return the cash.
Superior Senior Care later filed a theft report with Jonesboro police over the paycheck.
Coleman was formally charged by Craighead County District Judge David Boling on April 6 with theft involving more than $5,000 but less than $25,000, a Class C felony in Arkansas.
The company also backed up its claim with financial records and emails.
According to police, Coleman told her employer she had already spent the money fixing her husband’s semi-truck.
Investigators say she did not provide further details about where the money went.
A detective later contacted Coleman by phone, and she agreed to come in and talk about the situation.
She never showed up, according to the affidavit.
Police then issued a warrant for her arrest on a felony theft charge tied to the missing money.
Coleman was not immediately taken into custody after the warrant was issued. She was finally arrested on April 6, but on a separate outstanding warrant, police told TV station KAIT.
After her arrest, Coleman agreed to speak with officers without a lawyer present.
Police say she admitted she “didn’t pay attention and spent money.” She also claimed she later tried to offer to repay her former employer.
Coleman’s bond has been set at $15,000. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 18.
As of April 10, state records did not show her in custody.
The case will now play out in court.
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