A Billings man is accused of embezzling thousands of dollars while an employee at a local RV park.
Duane Leon Alderman has been charged in Yellowstone County District Court with embezzlement exceeding $10,000. County investigators allegedly found the 37-year-old had swiped roughly $80,000 by tampering with the RV park’s computerized transaction system.
In June 2023, the owners of Yellowstone River RV Resort and Campground contacted the county sheriff’s office. They had allegedly just seen surveillance footage of Alderman, whose job at the campground was to receive payments from tenants, pocketing $895 while working at the front register. Alderman had been an employee at Yellowstone River for about a year, according to charging documents. Leading up to the theft, footage showed Alderman apparently entering a discount into cash register.
The theft prompted one of the owners to conduct an audit of the business’s finances. Around the time they hired Alderman the business had transitioned from accepting handwritten payments to using a digital payment system. Alderman, described in court documents as “tech savvy,” allegedly knew the system well enough to receive payments, create reports for payments and train new employees. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Alderman repeating the discount scheme several times.
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The co-owner’s audit from January 2023 through June 2023 allegedly revealed nearly 90 applications of a discount into Yellowstone River’s transaction system, totaling $80,285. A detective with the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office tried to speak with Alderman, who at the time was living within the campground. Alderman allegedly declined to answer any questions without a lawyer.
Alderman is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court later this month. If convicted of embezzling more than $10,000, he could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and face a fine of up to $10,000.
