Nicholas Sidie allegedly stole more than $180,000 from Heavn’ly Donuts to fund his drug habit, police said. (File photograph)
Methuen’s Nicholas Sidie has been ordered to complete a 28-day detox program after admitting to his employer that he allegedly stole more than $180,000 to fund his drug habit.
Sidie’s June 29 arrest by Haverhill Police ended an alleged 19-month scheme in which he shorted the Heav’nly Donuts on Plaistow Road amounts ranging from $995-$16,975 per month. In a court affidavit, arresting officer Christopher Pagliuca said the shop’s owner was alerted to the theft when payroll checks started bouncing.
The owner approached Sidie, the only other employee with access to the account, about the situation on June 7.
“Nicholas told him that he was taking the money and that he had a drug problem and told him he was addicted to Oxycontin,” the report stated.
A five-year employee of the doughnut shop, Sidie admitted he spent all of the money. The owner brought criminal charges against Sidie despite the 37-year-old’s father Richard’s request not to involve police. His father’s request for Nicholas to work for free to pay off what he stole was also denied by the owner.
Arraigned on the embezzlement charge last week in Haverhill District Court, Sidie was ordered held without bail by Judge Patricia Dowling. He also agreed to enter a 28-day court-ordered detox program ahead of his pre-trial hearing on August 3.