A pizza delivery driver is facing a felony theft charge for allegedly altering receipts in order to pocket more money than what was coming to him.

Nickolas Ryan Smith, 20, Jasonville, was booked into the Greene County Jail yesterday, Tuesday, August 4, on a warrant issued as a result of an investigation by Deputy Jordan Allor of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputy Allor has been looking into a case of an alleged theft that reported by the general manager of KDA Pizza Indiana LLC. KDA Pizza owns Papa Johns in Linton.

The general manager told the deputy that a delivery driver, Nickolas Smith, had been “cooking receipts.” She said Smith had been taking the customer’s order, printing a receipt for the amount they owe, taking that receipt to the customer, accepting payment, then returning to the store where he would give the customer a discount when he entered the transaction into a computer. The system would then return whatever tip was given to Smith, plus the discount.

Deputy Allor reported the general manager gave him 138 receipts where Smith was the delivery driver and discounts were taken. The first was dated May 20 and the last one was dated July 26. The total amount of the discounts taken was $913.49.

Smith’s employment at the local Papa Johns was terminated on July 28.

When Deputy Allor interviewed Smith, Smith was cooperative and did not deny taking the discounts. He said he was desperate and felt he was being disrespected. He explained he had been spit on during a delivery in February and the general manager told him he had to get tested for communicable disease before he could return to work, to use his insurance and the company would pay the rest. But he did not have any insurance and the the company did not pay the $2,675 bill.

After Smith was booked in, his bond was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $400 and was released the same day.

Smith is scheduled to appear at an initial hearing next Monday on a charge of theft – where value of property is between $750 and $50,000, a Level 6 felony.