BLUEFIELD, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A former Econo Lodge employee is facing embezzlement charges after allegedly pocketing thousands of dollars in guest payments through deceptive transactions, according to Bluefield Police.

On June 6, 2024, Patrolman T.M. Beggs took a fraud complaint at the Bluefield City Police Department from hotel owner Prathik Valsaraj. Valsaraj reported that employee Lakiesha Nelson had manipulated payment records at the Econo Lodge to steal approximately $5,500.

According to the complaint, Nelson would collect cash from hotel guests but use other guests’ credit cards to balance the books. In some cases, she allegedly instructed guests to send payments directly to her personal Cash App account, identified as $Kushababy94, without logging their stays in the system. One exam

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