WARSAW — James M. McKinley, 28, 500 N. Lake St., Syracuse, and Andrea Diaz, 29, 8236 E. Debra Drive, Syracuse, were arrested Tuesday in connection with a theft from NAPA Auto Parts,

James Maurice McKinley II

McKinley has been charged with theft and obstruction of justice, both level 6 felonies. Diaz has been charged with obstruction of justice, and assisting a criminal, both level 6 felonies.

Warsaw Police filed preliminary charges on Monday against the two Syracuse residents in Kosciusko Superior Court 1.

McKinley, who was an office manager at NAPA Auto Parts, allegedly stole up to $43,136.81 from the company according to an audit. Court documents state the audit is continuing and further details will be turned over to police. The pair also shredded and removed documents and a computer from the business in an alleged attempt to remove evidence.

According to court documents McKinley was told on June 19, the company was sending an auditor to audit records. He then submitted his two weeks notice. Several days later, on June 21, McKinley and his girlfriend, Andrea Diaz, came to the store and were seen shredding documents, removing paper records and computers from the business. The actions were captured on store surveillance as well as seen by three other employees.

Andrea Erminda Diez

The video shows the pair placing paperwork into boxes and carrying those boxes outside the business. McKinley was  observed shredding documents and dumping two trash cans full of paperwork from the office and removing the computers from the office.

The owner of the business found the computers and financial paperwork missing on June 22, and was told McKinley and Diaz had removed the items. McKinley was instructed to return the computer and records. Stating the items were at his residence, McKinley returned with two small containers of financial records and the computer, However the computer memory had been deleted.

Police met with the business owner and McKinley on June 23, at which time police were given a signed confession by McKinley regarding his actions. In the confession, McKinley stated he had created cash and inventory losses since his employment, which began Jan. 31, 2014, and continued through March 31, 2015. He admitted stealing more than $17,000.

McKinley stated he would take cash from a customer who was paying an account payment. Instead of applying the payment to the account, he would deposit the payment into the daily deposit as a normal sale, then remove the money from the deposit. He would then issue a service charge credit to the customer’s account at the end of the month, balancing the account.