Langston arrested twice in 24 hours ***UPDATE***
NICOLE NORRIS | The Greenville Standard
According to Capt. Justin Lovvorn, in May the Greenville Police Department received a call in reference to internal theft and possible fraudulent activity from the Greenville Motor Company. Agents began investigating the suspicious activity by auditing the company’s financial records.
During the investigation it was discovered that a single employee, over a nine month period, made numerous unauthorized charges to the company.
According to Lovvorn, at this point in the investigation over $30,000 in unauthorized charges have been uncovered, but the total is not limited to that amount as there are at least two other credit card accounts to be analyzed.
Management was notified of the findings and has confirmed the charges were unauthorized and not acceptable for company expenditures.
Hope Gibson Langston, 31, of Greenville was charged with first-degree theft of property and booked into the Butler County Jail, at which time she was verbally warned by police not return to Greenville Motor Company and not to contact the management of the business.
She was released on a $30,000 bond later that evening.
Earlier this morning, Aug. 25, Langston was arrested a second time for trespassing at Greenville Motor Company, where she was trying to get into the business. Bond for the trespassing charge was set at $3,000, but since she did not obey the verbal warning to stay away from Greenville Motor Company there is a hold on her release.
Langston will appear before a Butler County judge later today for a conditional bond hearing.
UPDATE: Langston appeared before Judge Terri Lovell today in district court on a conditional bond hearing. Judge MacDonald Russell recused himself from the case.
During the hearing, District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer reported to the judge that on Aug. 24 Langston had been verbally warned three or four times by Greenville Police Department Capt. Justin Lovvorn that she was not to have contact with any Greenville Motor Company employees nor was she to be on the Greenville Motor Company premises.
Tesmer went on to say that around 7 a.m. Langston was located at the dealership.
Judge Lovell agreed to Langston’s release on bond based on stipulations set out by Tesmer.
Stipulations of the bond were: Langston will remain at her home, not to leave unless going to pre-approved doctor or attorney appointments; she must immediately see her primary physician; all firearms in the residence are to be turned over to Greenville Police by noon today; and there is to be no further contact between Langston and any employee of Greenville Motor Company, by any means.
Judge Lovell made sure that Langston understood if any of the conditions of bond were broken that her bond could and would be revoked.
