Man admits to embezzling $59,000 while working at Smith's gas station

• Larry Harrison Jr. is accused of 10 third-degree felony counts of embezzlement along with two fourth-degree felony counts of embezzlement.
• Kristin Harrington, Harrison’s attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.
• He was booked and released from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on January 19.

FARMINGTON — A Farmington man admitted to police he embezzled about $59,000 in cash during an 11-month period while working at a gas station operated by a Farmington grocery store, court documents state.

Larry Harrison Jr., 28, is accused of embezzling cash from February 2020 until this month while working at the Smith’s grocery store gas station at 600 E. 20th Street in Farmington, according to court documents.

He has been charged with 10 third-degree felony counts of embezzlement along with two fourth-degree felony counts of embezzlement, according to the criminal complaint.

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Kristin Harrington, Harrison’s attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.

A Farmington Police Department officer was dispatched around 11:29 a.m. on Jan. 15 to the grocery store to investigate an embezzlement report.

According to an affidavit filed in court, a manager spoke to the officer, stating Harrison had been taking money since February 2020. The manager provided the officer a written statement from Harrison which described how he committed the alleged crimes.

The business also provided security video footage of Harrison operating the cash register at the fuel pump station, the affidavit stated. The officer was also provided a record of Harrison’s cash register audits. Harrison spoke to the officer, admitting he took the money because his family had accumulated hospital bills.

The document states that Harrison described his method to taking the cash to the officer. The defendant said he learned there was a way to dispense fuel when it would be tested by an independent company and it could create a shortage of revenue in the register.

The defendant admitted to using the Fuel Test option on the cash register to pocket the cash and said he would discard part of his paperwork that was supposed to be filed, according to court documents.

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Harrison said he would use this method two to three times a week, which the report from the business supported.

The cash would then be deposited onto a debit card by another Smith’s cashier.

The largest amount of money was taken in December 2020, when Harrison is accused of taking $9,000 in cash.

The affidavit states he also was fired from another gas station in September 2020 for a similar case, but no criminal charges were filed.

He was booked and released from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on Jan. 19.

Harrison waived his first appearance in Farmington Magistrate Court and his preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 10.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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