Supervisor Fakes Sales Records in US$16k Fraud

A 25-year-old supervisor has been jailed for two years after defrauding her employer of US$16,241.05 by falsifying daily cash sales records over four months.

Michellene Muzenda appeared before the Mutare Magistrates' Court facing fraud charges.

She was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, with four years suspended under specified conditions, leaving her to serve an effective two-year term.

The court heard that Muzenda was employed as a supervisor at Dollar Pantry. Between November 5, 2025 and March 17, 2026, she falsified daily cash sales figures in the cashbook, recording amounts that did not tally with sales reflected in the automated teller machine records.

The fraud resulted in an actual prejudice of US$16,241.05 to her employer.

The offence came to light on March 17, 2026, when the employer instructed supervisors to compare recorded daily cash sales against automated teller machine records.

The exercise uncovered discrepancies, prompting further investigations.

A forensic audit covering the business's CBD and Branch B outlets for the period November 2025 to March 2026 established that Muzenda had falsified the cash sales records.

Police recovered US$700 in cash, while further investigations led to the recovery of various goods from her shop at Tinmark Mall in Mutare. The goods had been purchased using proceeds of the fraud.

Muzenda was sentenced to six years imprisonment, with two years suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

A further two years were suspended on condition that she restitutes her employer, leaving her to serve an effective two-year prison term.