A former Lowe's employee is accused of stealing more than $20,000 from the home improvement store in Butler Township by making bogus returns and taking cash from the register.

Township police said Tarrah L. Kapsin, 41, of Connoquenessing Township, admitted to the thefts between August and December, and allegedly used the money to pay bills and buy food because of financial problems.

Kapsin on Tuesday turned herself in at the office of District Judge Kevin O'Donnell, who arraigned her on a felony charge of theft by deception. She is free on her own recognizance.

Police said they were called Dec. 15 to the store at Moraine Pointe Plaza for a reported employee theft. Store officials told police that they had interviewed Kapsin, and she provided them with a written confession.

The defendant, who no longer works at the store, was a Lowe's employee for 12 years. At the time of the investigation, police said, she was a pro desk specialist, working with contractors or professional customers.

The store launched an internal investigation, police said, after a Dec. 10 cash return performed by Kapsin was brought to its attention.

Officials subsequently reviewed similar transactions under her name, court documents stated, and identified 253 “false cash returns” from Aug. 19 to Dec. 10.

In all, those returns amounted to a $20,447 loss to the store.

According to documents, Kapsin would look up previous sales involving cash and debit cards.

“She would then complete a false return of those sales, remove the cash from the register drawer, and would either pocket the cash or place it in a folder,” a police affidavit said.

She later left the register area with the folders. Store officials noted that Kapsin initialed all the return receipts and forged some signatures.

Store surveillance video, police said, was reviewed as part of the investigation.

Police said the defendant told investigators that her motive was to pay bills and buy gas and groceries for her family “due to an income loss by her husband due to (COVID-19).”

She allegedly admitted that she came up with the scheme herself and that she acted alone. Police described her as being “very cooperative and forthcoming” with investigators.

“Kapsin was very apologetic,” documents said, “and wanted to pay back the money that is owed to Lowe's for their loss.”

Her preliminary hearing is set Feb. 18. Online court records did not indicate if she has an attorney.