Rene Nichole Coleman, 50, is facing a felony theft charge after authorities say she retained $19,388 that was mistakenly paid to her by her employer. (Credit: Craighead County Sheriff's Office)
An Arkansas woman is facing a felony theft charge after police say she reportedly refused to return nearly $20,000 that her employer mistakenly overpaid her due to a payroll error.
Dig deeper:
According to USA Today, Rene Nichole Coleman was charged April 6 with theft of more than $5,000 but less than $25,000—a Class C felony in Arkansas—after her former employer, Superior Senior Care, accused her of keeping $19,388 in an August 2025 probable cause affidavit.
Coleman, 50, normally earned $16.50 an hour, but a May 10, 2025, payroll error mistakenly paid her $1,650 per hour for a 12-hour shift, leading to the overpayment.
According to the affidavit, she refused to return the money once the mistake was discovered.
An Aug. 12, 2025, police report obtained by USA Today says Coleman told her former employer she had already spent the money on repairs for her husband’s semi-truck and offered no additional details.
According to the affidavit, the company provided investigators with financial records and emails to back up its claim. A detective later spoke with Coleman by phone, and although she agreed to discuss the situation further, she did not follow through.
Authorities subsequently issued a warrant for her arrest on a felony theft charge involving more than $5,000 but less than $25,000.
Coleman was not taken into custody until April 6, when she was arrested on a separate outstanding warrant, police told KAIT. After her arrest, she agreed to speak with investigators without an attorney present and said she "didn’t pay attention and spent money," adding that she had attempted to repay her employer.
What's next:
She was released on a $15,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court May 18. As of April 10, Arkansas Department of Corrections records do not list her as being in custody.
The Source: The information in this story comes from multiple sources, including a probable cause affidavit and police report, as well as reporting by USA Today and statements to local outlet KAIT. This story was reported from Los Angeles.