Spanish supermarket wants 10 years in prison for cashier accused of €333,800 theft

A supermarket till is probably the last place most people would expect to find a €333,800 hole in the accounts. But in Cantabria, a cashier is accused of finding a remarkably simple way to make cash disappear, one small transaction at a time.

The alleged scheme went on for two years and involved 1,160 transactions, according to prosecutors. Now the supermarket wants the cashier to spend 10 years behind bars, while the Public Prosecutor’s Office is seeking a three-year sentence.

How the money disappeared

The supermarket’s tills used separate systems for recording purchases and processing payments. According to the prosecution, the cashier took advantage of this when customers paid less than €400 in cash. After processing the purchase, she allegedly disconnected the payment terminal from the electricity supply, preventing the payment from being recorded in the system.

The cash could then be kept without the corresponding payment appearing in the supermarket’s records.Prosecutors say this happened 1,160 times between 2023 and 2025, with the total amount allegedly taken reaching €333,800. The case is now heading to the Provincial Court of Cantabria, where the allegations will be examined.

The clue was hiding in the computer system

The supermarket eventually became suspicious after its applications manager noticed several tickets that had been left open. A review of the records found that similar transactions were repeatedly being made at the beginning and end of shifts and were being carried out using the same employee’s credentials.

The company then spent two days monitoring the cashier with security cameras, according to the prosecution’s account. She was dismissed the following day, and prosecutors allege that she was carrying €845 in cash when she was confronted. The company subsequently reported the matter to the authorities.

Supermarket wants 10 years in prison

The supermarket and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are seeking very different sentences. The prosecutor is asking for three years in prison, a €4,500 fine and compensation of €333,800 for the alleged loss. The supermarket, which is appearing as the private prosecution, is asking for 10 years in prison, along with a €288,000 fine and compensation of €331,750.

The difference in the compensation figures is linked to €2,000 allegedly returned by the cashier several days after she was dismissed, according to the prosecution. The case concerns a continuing aggravated offence of misappropriation. The cashier has not been convicted and the allegations have yet to be determined by the court.

Court hearing set for next week

The case is due before Section Three of the Provincial Court of Cantabria on Thursday, October 1, with the hearing scheduled to begin at 10:00am. The parties will first have the opportunity to reach an agreement. If no agreement is reached, the court will set a date for the trial. The prosecution will have to establish that the accused carried out the transactions and took the money as alleged.

Evidence is expected to include the supermarket’s computer records and security camera footage. For customers standing at a till, there is nothing particularly unusual about handing over a few notes and walking away with their shopping. In this case, prosecutors allege that those ordinary cash payments were being used to remove hundreds of thousands of euros from the business over time.