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Police charge Union workers
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by Pedro Oliveira Jr.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Five Memorial Union workers were charged Wednesday with stealing more than $14,000 from the Stiftskeller last year.
The students were accused of misappropriating beer sales money by not ringing up sales and putting the money in the tip jar adjacent to the register.
According to the complaint, Daniel Ursin, 21, allegedly took $5,430; Adam Lisner, 22, allegedly took $4,920; Katherine Lee, 21, allegedly took $1,490; Erik Kopperud, 22, allegedly took $1,258; and Anthony Moore, 23, allegedly took $1,097.
All but Lisner, who attends the Madison Area Technical College, are University of Wisconsin students.
Two UW police officers worked undercover at the bar on the evening of Dec. 8, 2007, and bought pitchers of beer with currency whose serial numbers had been previously recorded, according to the complaint.
The officers stopped Moore and Lisner after work and found one of the $10 bills in Lisner’s pocket.
According to the UW police complaint, when approached, Moore said, “You got me; I’m sick of trying to be deceptive; I’ll tell you want you want to hear.”
UW police were initially asked to investigate the facility after Rathskeller manager Jim Long reported an ongoing theft problem in the Stiftskeller, in which he said a large number of the approximately 50 people employed were stealing from the till.
According to the complaint, Long had begun to analyze register receipts, cash account forms and shift logs and noted there were many anomalies consistent with till-skimming.
Long met with UWPD Oct. 31 and said the investigation had narrowed to five employees whose patterns of handling the cash register indicated they were stealing from the register.
All suspects were interviewed and ultimately arrested last December. They had their mug shots taken and were later released.
Lisner denied taking $4,920 from the register, as reported in the complaint, but said he “would take about $150 a night, on a good night.”
“Moore stated that there was a general culture in the Stiftskeller that it was OK to scam money,” the complaint states. “Moore explained that the common practice is that if a customer uses exact change, you simply consider that as your tip and keep it.”
Moore also said he heard this from a fellow employee when he first started working that summer, and it seemed that “everybody was doing the same thing.”
“That’s not just stealing from the Union; it’s stealing from other students who pay fees to operate the Union,” Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier said in a statement. “We don’t believe that most student employees — or anyone else for that matter — think that’s OK.”
According to Dane County Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer, Kopperud was the only one in the group who failed to appear in Thursday’s first court appearance.
“In his defense, the suspects were given very little notice to appear in court today,” Verveer said. “There was some sort of paperwork snafu with the police department, but luckily, four of the five appeared today.”
The five were charged with misdemeanor theft, whose maximum penalty upon conviction is up to a $10,000 fine and nine months in jail.
Verveer said though hard to predict, the five employees may be recommended to participate in Dane County’s First Offender’s Program.
According to Verveer, the First Offender’s Program is run by the Dane County District Attorney’s Office, and to be eligible, one needs to have a clean criminal record and plead guilty to all charges.
The program could last from nine to 36 months, and it would involve community service hours, regular visits to a social worker and restitution of the missing money.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 4:25am):
Unfortunately, for every time they catch someone doing this, at least 10 people get away with it.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 5:41am):
Now no tips are allowed after maybe more than 30 years of this practice. All other bartenders make tip money. That's part of the job. I think this is an over reaction to the discovery that not all the sales made it to the sales register. That's because nobody was minding the store in the past. Not all the blame goes on these students. The new Union management seems a little harsh and Draconian.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 8:04am):
"The new Union management seems a little harsh and Draconian."
So pretty much, don't like your employer? Might as well steal from them! Sounds completely justified.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 8:37am):
"So pretty much, don't like your employer? Might as well steal from them! Sounds completely justified."
Stealing from your employer and accepting tips from grateful patrons are two completely different things, idiot. I know people who worked in the games room before it went under and they were told by their supervisor not to accept tips. So what are they supposed to do with the extra money people clearly leave on the bar for you? Besides which, the atmosphere upstairs was MUCH more fast paced. It would be difficult to discern whether extra change was a tip or not. That being said, I DO think these students knew what they were doing. But they weren't "stealing from their employers because they didn't like them." They were just taking advantage of an ambiguous situation.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 8:58am):
"Not all the blame goes on these students."
Some of the blame goes on the previously employed students who taught them how to steal?
Or should management always assume that all the employees are thieves and arrange for hidden cameras on every employee at all times?
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 9:02am):
I agree with 5:41 that not allowing tips is ridiculous, but something had to be done in this situation it seems. A change in culture seemed very much in order.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 9:27am):
In reply to 5:41 am:
Actually it's not the Union management that is saying no to tips. It's against the law. As workers for the state it is illegal to accept any payment (monetary or otherwise) for a service provided to other people. Everyone is always chomping at the bit to place blame on the Union before trying to do a little research to back up their claims.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 9:56am):
I'm certain if the Student Living Wage Initiative, which students passed in November of 2006, had not been rejected by Chancellor Wiley, and had been implemented, than you would see very little stealing in the Memorial Union! With tuition costs continually increasing, and the cost of housing continually increasing in Madison, no wonder student workers are stealing!
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 9:58am):
"Now no tips are allowed after maybe more than 30 years of this practice."
Tips were never allowed...WI Union workers are state employees. They aren't allowed to take tips. Heck, even people who have their weddings at the Union aren't allowed to tip the catering staff...by State Law. It's not the Union's rule, it's a law all state employees are bound by (so people can't be "bribed").
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 10:15am):
âThatâs not just stealing from the Union; itâs stealing from other students who pay fees to operate the Union,â
What a load of garbage. $10 for a little pitcher of beer, that's stealing.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 10:24am):
I can speak from direct experience in saying that some of the people charged were not stealing money at all, but only giving away free beer to employs like has been tradition for decades. This all stems from political unrest higher up at the Memorial union starting with Jim Long who needed a reason to fire the employees there because he knew we would never like him.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 10:29am):
Consider it severance pay, take the train!
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 10:41am):
News flash, Police can't charge people with crimes...that is the district attorney's job.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 11:33am):
10:24 "I can speak from direct experience in saying that some of the people charged were not stealing money at all, but only giving away free beer"
HAHAHAHA wow, you are an idiot. I am sure that giving away free beer brought you guys over $14,000 in tips. If someone gives you exact change for the beer and you pocketed the money rather than ringing it up, that's stealing, what the hell are you doing in college? go back to elementary school and actually learn something this time around. I understand everything on campus is overpriced and tuition is way too high, but if you spend the little money you have wisely rather than on stupid sh**, you wouldn't have had the need to steal. If anyone "should be" stealing, it's the bum on the streets that has nowhere to go and nothing to eat and even they get prosecuted for trying to survive. I hope they make you pay back all the money you stole and that as part of your community service, you help those who are really in need and yet they don't go around stealing money. That way, you realize what an immoral, selfish, immature and irresponsible scum you are.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 12:17pm):
How were the amounts calculated? All they know about was 20 bucks.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 12:19pm):
MULO!
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 12:43pm):
I actually know some of the students involved, and a bunch of them really were just giving away free beer to previous employees. But go ahead and make an idiot of yourself.
Also, the Badger Herald couldn't be bothered to ask the arrested employees for comment?
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 1:59pm):
I like the fact that 20+ other employees quit in "protest" over the impropper treatment of the 5 thieves (based on the belief they were only giving away a free beer or two).
News flash, either the people quit because they were also stealing (as the one busted dude told police), or they quit, thinking their friends were fired for nothing more than giving away a free beer.
Well, I'm sure the 5 who got busted told all their friends the truth. "yes, I got fired for stealing thousands in cash.". I bet the few honest people who quit the Union must feel pretty dumb now for sticking up for their thieving friends.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 3:34pm):
See what happens when you take away the 46oz cups. It all goes to hell.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 4:22pm):
"I actually know some of the students involved, and a bunch of them really were just giving away free beer to previous employees. But go ahead and make an idiot of yourself."
Who told you THAT? I'm sure it was your super trustworthy friends, eh? Ya, I'm the idiot *Rolls eyes*
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 6:04pm):
They never pocketed that money, it all went back to the customer. All of you who have reaped the free beer, sit and watch as your "gracious" friends get eaten alive by the man for the money (beer) you actually stole. But hey, someone has to take the fall. I just hope the fallen can get up quick enough to finish their education and move on with life.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 7:16pm):
"They never pocketed that money"?? Lisner was busted with one of the cops $10 bills on him.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 7:28pm):
How can you say they never pocketed the money, one dude got caught with a cops $10 on him.
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 7:45pm):
Why does the BH only post articles about Obama's criticism of Hillary, but not the other way around (see "On the Radar" on the website front page)?
Check this out, or is it not newsworthy to the Obama-lovin' BH staff?
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/02/27/710141.aspx
"Last night, we saw a glimpse of the real Barack Obama â the Barack Obama who became chair of a national security subcommittee, put it on his resume, but did not hold a single oversight hearing because he was too busy running for President; the Barack Obama who spends his time talking about change you can believe in instead of change you actually can count on........."
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 8:07pm):
Obviously the Democrat's culture of corruption reaches deep into our most trusted institutions.
- Germain Q. Stemme
Anonymous (February 29, 2008 @ 8:31pm):
6:04
Are you saying they didn't steal cash? It seems like they are alleged to have given away free beer too, but according to the newpaper's rendition of the charges, at least two guys admitted to taking cash.
One guy ADMITTED to taking $150 a night... In a 4-5 hour shift, that's $30 extra dollars PER hour (tax free) in addition to their hourly wage. So, please tell me again about these poor underpaid college students who work so hard and can't do school work on the job...
*****"They never pocketed that money, it all went back to the customer."*****
When you take money from customers (who pay exact change), hit void, and place the cash it in your tip jar, who do you think gets the tip jar at the end of the night? Were they handing it back out to customers or homeless people after work? Or were they buying PS3's, or XBOX 360's or whatever?
Seriously, and to the people that claim to actually know these people, do you think their gonna actually admit to it, or possibly lie to get your sympathy... I tend to believe to po po in this case. God people, don't be so nieve.
I was a dept store cashier the summer after HS and they caught one of my friends stealing from the till (similar technique it seems), and that person is no longer my friend. If you steal from the your employer, you should get the book thrown at you.
So many people our age have this sense of entitlement, like the world owes us something, and we shouldn't have to take personal responsibility for what we do. Here's a thought, how about if you don't want to do the time, don't do the crime!
If you get caught, don't try to blame everyone but yourself! "Oh, the work conditions suck, and I only get $30+ dollars an hour, and my bosses don't like me, and I'm forced to actually work (at work), and I can't give free stuff away to friends, and boo hoo!".... None of that translates into it being ok to steal from your employer!
Goof balls like these five people that got caught are the reason we pay such rediculously high amounts for stuff. If you don't think the Union or Walmart (wherever) jacks up their prices to cover their losses, you're crazy.
I wonder how many more free concerts or movies on the terrace we could have had if these people hadn't pilfered $15k from their tills.
becca smith (February 29, 2008 @ 11:19pm):
"Two UW police officers worked undercover at the bar on the evening of Dec. 8, 2007, and bought pitchers of beer with currency whose serial numbers had been previously recorded, according to the complaint."
"The officers stopped Moore and Lisner after work and found one of the $10 bills in Lisnerâs pocket."
what do you mean "they never pocketted the money"
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 12:06am):
What do you mean they never pocketed the money? Did you bother to read the article???
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 1:14am):
I like how the Union is a private membership organization sometimes, and an official state agency some other times, usually when one is more convenient than the other.
This is one student who's chucking the lifetime membership offer away when he graduates.
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 9:09am):
For the record, when bartenders get tips and have $100+ at the end of the night in ones, they often cash those in for larger bills. I'm not saying anything either way about the stealing, but seeing the same $10 in someone's pocket doesn't necessarily mean they stole it. Ten ones equal one ten... think about it.
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 11:45am):
For the record,
When you have a $10 marked bill in your pocket that undercover cops purcahsed a pitcher of beer with, and you then admit you stole the $10 bill, it's still a $10 bill, but you're still busted!
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 1:09pm):
The whole point is: it is against state law to take tips.
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 3:25pm):
For the record, what is the record?
- Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 8:07pm):
How convenient that they were charged the same day that the student workers' complaints were made public? Keep diligent, BH, where there's smoke there's usually fire as well.
Anonymous (March 1, 2008 @ 10:17pm):
This has been going on for years. Maybe the will lower beer prices when they figure out how much they were really losing.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 12:54am):
"How convenient that they were charged the same day that the student workers' complaints were made public?"
Ummm, I think you got your facts wrong. They were all arrested in December. Their first court date was last Thursday.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 12:45pm):
In response to 1:14 am on 3/1:
While the Union is technically a members only organization the reason it is only enforced at random times is because it would cost a ton of money to have someone sitting at the doors and policing the Terrace asking every person for a student ID or membership. Yes, the Union also probably does it to make money but I don't think it has anything to do with convenience as must as it does with cost.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 10:34pm):
Management could take the law issue up with the Board of Regents and attempt to change it. They are hostile to the idea and simply won't have it. They make no effort to take care of their honest employees. These new bartenders, new Rath employees, can only have drunk people shoving so much cash in their face and insisting they keep it instead of making it a donation (which happens constantly) before they just start taking tips again. Management has to realize this and attempt to effect change, but they don't. That law is in place to prevent the governor, state senators and such from taking bribes (I'm sure it works really well too), not to put a wrench in the culture of buying beer: tipping your bartender.
Anonymous (March 2, 2008 @ 11:17pm):
it's one thing to sneak a free pitcher to your friends once in a while...it's another to charge people for beer and then pocket the money yourself.
Anonymous (March 3, 2008 @ 7:41am):
"News flash, Police can't charge people with crimes...that is the district attorney's job."
News flash! The police arrested these people in December. They filed the charging recommendation with the DA's office and they have been charged. They have even been to court. I wonder if anything was stolen from the courthouse that day?
Anonymous (March 10, 2008 @ 7:16pm):
Hey I've got an idea. How about GO OFF CAMPUS to get your beer. Jeez people. How desperate do you have to be to sit around the UNION drinking. Go out for crying out loud. Then the Rathskeller doesn't have to employ anyone who traditionally receives tips as part of their compensation.
It's never all right to steal from your employer. It's never all right to STEAL. Where did young adults of today get their moral compass?
And what was up with the whole culture of the place where so many people have been skimming off the till for so long.
Exact change isn't a tip it's exact change for a purchase.
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