What is Civil Recovery and how much do they charge?

Question

A friend of mine got terminated from Walgreen's for stealing a $135 camera, $150 from the money (in 5 dollar increments that added up to 150 dollars over the year he worked there) from the register and like $75 worth of cigarettes and food. It all added up to about $350. The loss preventions guy took him to the office and started explaining the situation and told my friend that if he told the truth they would not press charges and the police won't find out about this. So he told the truth and admitted to stealing. The LP guy made him fill out a statement that said he admitted to stealing what he told them he stole and sign it. Then they cashed out his paycheck in the office and told him he had to pay for the losses he admitted to and he payed it. Then the LP said that he will receive a letter in the mail from Civil Recovery that will basically cover the cost of Loss Preventions being there and what not. The Loss Preventions guy told him that because he was honest, he guaranteed my friend that the police will not find out about this. How long does it usually take for the letter to arrive and how much is the fine from Civil Recovery? Thank you to all who give a good answer.

Answer 1

I imagine it could take weeks before he receives any correspondence from Civil Recovery.  Fine may be in the form of a percentage of total.  Just a guess though...

Answer 2

"The loss preventions guy took him to the office and started explaining the situation and told my friend that if he told the truth they would not press charges and the police won't find out about this."

Your friend needs to remember that it's perfectly legal for them to lie. Saying "If you sign this we won't tell the police", and then passing the signed form on to the cops is completely legal.

That said, the amount they can demand from him in civil recovery varies by State. It can be as much as $1,000 (and in 'most' States the amount is not related to the amount he stole)

Richard