An Auburn man has been arrested after authorities said he defrauded people out of thousands of dollars at his Flowery Branch business.
Jeffery Wayne Manders, age 54, was arrested Monday and booked into the Hall County Jail. He has since been released on bond.
A release from the Flowery Branch Police Department Wednesday said officials there began investigating Manders in January following a report of unauthorized credit card purchases being made at Manders' business, Pallet Liquidators on Atlanta Highway near Phil Niekro Boulevard.
The customer who made the report indicated she had made a legitimate purchase of flooring from the store in October of 2023 using a credit card. In the following weeks, the victim said she was notified that her card had been charged twice, each for $3,700.
One of those two charges was made at Half Price Outfitters, another business owned by Manders.
Investigators also reportedly discovered two other people who claimed they had ordered flooring from Manders' business in October and never received the product despite paying for it. After their initial purchases, their cards were also reportedly charged without their permission.
Manders faces multiple counts each of theft by deception and financial transaction card fraud.
