Restaurant Theft Investigation Leads to Charges Against Former Employee
Alicia Marie Mogan, 43, of Hebron, has been charged after investigators reviewed security footage and message exchanges involving repeated cash shortages at Corky’s Dog House in Cedar Lake, where she had been employed.
According to the probable cause affidavit, police were dispatched to the restaurant on Wicker Avenue in reference to a theft report. Management reported that throughout the summer months, the cash drawer had repeatedly come up short at the end of working days. After reviewing available text messages from August through mid-September, the business identified several dates where the cash drop was reportedly missing up to approximately $1,000.
The affidavit states that internal video footage showed the employee taking money from the cash drawer and placing it into her right pocket, positioned away from the security camera. Footage also showed her unzipping the cash bag, moving to a wash area in the rear of the restaurant, and placing money into a white bag. Additional footage reportedly showed her removing plastic bags containing money from the cash bag and placing them into her pockets.
According to the affidavit, after these observations were presented to her, the employee initially denied the accusations. She then allegedly admitted to taking money after management explained in detail what the footage showed. Investigators also reviewed a message exchange in which she reportedly responded to a question about how much had been taken by stating “less than 1000 and not all summer,” and also wrote, “please don’t put me in jail.
Lodged in the Lake County Jail December 8,2025.
Charges filed November 25,2025:
• Theft — Level 6 Felony
• Theft — Class A Misdemeanor
