AutoZone Employee Arrested in Shocking Car Battery Fraud Scandal

A staff member at AutoZone in Maricopa has been accused of embezzling funds from the store. Jorge-Leonel Mendez, aged 33, reported to police that he orchestrated the scheme to supplement his income for rent payments.

According to Maricopa Police, AutoZone Divisional Investigator Keith Ridenour contacted authorities regarding a theft totaling $2,372 at the retail location in The Wells shopping center. Mendez allegedly confessed during a phone interview.

Ridenour detailed that Mendez had processed multiple fraudulent car battery warranty returns over the past few months—specifically in November, December, and early January. He admitted to executing approximately nine or ten fake returns, pocketing the cash for personal expenses.

As a result, police have charged Mendez with a felony theft. Should he be convicted, he faces a potential sentence exceeding two years in prison.