Employee Theft Via Fraudulent Refunds

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Ohio

I have a coworker who was recently accused of basically embezzling money from a retail store we work at. He hit some serious financial trouble and basically made a dumb decision. He decided to start stealing money from the register by way of fake cash returns. He's never been in any legal trouble before and he's scared for his life. Is there any way out of jail time for his first offense? Should he get legal help? I'm sure they had him write a confession, but is there any leniency for someone who made a very stupid decision out of desperation?

He needs a lawyer. He may be able to help himself by making full restitution; but he should start by consulting a criminal defense lawyer.