Signing for a Bag of Currency that Went Missing
My question involves criminal law for the state of: california
I work for an armored car company.Last week I accidentally signed for a bag of currency that I did not pick up.The very next day the bag went missing,most likely someone realized I had signed for the bag and stole the bag.I have not been blamed for stealing the bag,and they have not contacted my company in a week.Im scared once someones job is on the line,that they could turn on me.I want to know what steps I should take to cover my ass.Can I hire a lawyer,or private investigator????
Could they access surveillance cameras showing the exact number of bags i picked up???
Re: What Action Could I Take
I would hope that the organization that lost the bag would do just that - access video (and witnesses) as part of their own investigation. It is possible that the police might also get involved.
I would recommend that you seek the advice of an attorney ASAP. While there may NOT be any criminal action taken against you, it is possible - even likely - that you could lose your job over this. The advice of an attorney may not be helpful in termination, but, it could be of help if you are asked to make a statement both by your employer or the police. Any statement you make to your employer could, potentially, be used against you in any criminal or civil court proceedings, so you may want to be very careful about what you say even internally. Yes, you might lose your job, but, you have to weigh that against the possibility of a criminal case.
Re: What Action Could I Take
Note, too, that even if you are not criminally prosecuted you might end being sued for the loss of the money. I hope it wasn’t a really large amount.
Re: What Action Could I Take
And not to beat a dead horse but even if they cannot or do not prove that you're guilty, they can still legally fire you.
Re: What Action Could I Take
Does your employer actually know about this mistake? If not the first thing I would do is bring it to their attention. The longer it takes, the more likely any evidence such as video recordings will be lost or overwritten (some only hold 3-9 days) I think the sooner you confess to the mistake, the more likely it is that your employer might keep you employed if they dont' know about the situation already. I would NOT wait for the client to bring it to their attention.
Are you insured or bonded? If so, I would be calling the insurance/bonding company and putting them on notice immediately. They will probably start an investigation.
But whether the money went missing or not, you still made quite a large mistake (signing for a bag you didnt' get). If I were your employer, that would be cause for termination as you failed on what I would consider your main job duty -- paying very close attention to delivery details.