Lunch Box thief owes $78K, 10 days jail

A woman who pleaded guilty to stealing money while managing the Lunch Box over the course of two to three years was sentenced to pay the owners almost $78,000 in restitution. Judge Robert Olson also sentenced Jean Grandberg to 10 days in the Hill County jail and 10 years probation.

Grandberg, 52, was charged with theft by embezzlement by a common scheme, which is a felony.

In 2011, Julie Davison, one of the owners of the Lunch Box Restaurant, reported to police an employee was stealing money. She reported she first noticed money was missing when they did a cookie catering gig. She gave the money to a waitress, who gave it to Grandberg and it was never entered into the day's sales. After looking at the till, the owners found the cash intake for the day had been scratched out and the money for the cookies had been added to the total amount.

Grandberg was a manager of the restaurant for two and a half years. The Davisons started going back into the books and found many discrepancies.

Grandberg admitted to attorneys that she sometimes stole up to $300 a day from the restaurant. She also admitted she had a severe gambling problem.

When asked if he wanted to speak to the court, co-owner John Davison said he has said everything he needed to in the past.

"She has disrupted our lives enough," John Davison said.

Julie Davison, his wife. spoke about the forensic accountant who went through the years' worth of paperwork and tickets said the restitution they asked for was a low-ball of what was actually stolen and to prove further to the court would be too difficult due to complexity.

"Jean has taken responsibility, your honor, for what she did," said Jeremy Yellin, Grandberg's lawyer.

Grandberg spoke to the court, expressing her sorrow and telling them she knew she made a huge mistake.

"I've learned a huge lesson," Grandberg said. " ... What I have is mine and will be the Davisons' from here on."

Grandberg's relationship with her husband is very traditional, as was maintained during the hearing. Her husband takes care of the finances and ownership of possessions. Everything Grandberg makes in work is hers.

She now works at Rod's Drive-In and was ordered to give "every penny" of her paycheck after taxes to the Davisons on the basis of her husband supporting her.

Olson decided to give Grandberg the 10 days in jail despite Yellin's comment of "the public humiliation is penalty enough."

"You had a very close relationship with this family," Olson said. " ... Starting a little business like this is the American dream. They've been living in this nightmare for years."