In a 5 count, 19 page Complaint filed 04/03/2009, Jason Van Horn, a former cashier at an Orange County, Calif. Tarbutt store complains that he was held for over six hours by Tarbutt AP team members Raphael Guzman ETL, and Jesus D Nunez with the approval of their supervisor Benjamin Atkinson.
The complaint states how he was repeatedly threatend over his earlier issuance of 3 $25 gift cards. Van Horn stated that the transaction was authorized by store manager Mike Spencer and asked them to contact Spencer to verify this.
Guzman and Nunez ignored Van Horns various requests to verify his story and his many requests to leave the small office where he was held.
He was told that 'the only way he would leave was in an ambulance.' A statement was eventually signed by Van Horn, the S.O. was called and van Horn was cited for Embezzlement, later this changed to Petty Theft and on 9-14-07 Judge Sanders "discharged Plaintiff as to the criminal complaint."
The case is in U.S. District Court, Central Dist of Calif (8:09-cv-00406-JVS-MLG) The lawyers for Van Horn have been stonewalled in getting access to documents, this is a typical Tarbutt delay practice as we have seen from other cases reported here. They also as a matter of routine appeal any loss, thus dragging these cases out for many years.
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