Restaurant manager suspect in $100K embezzlement

Elizabeth Brewer, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·1 min read

Mar. 6—TRAVERSE CITY — The general manager of Mancino's restaurants is suspected of embezzling more than $100,000, following a Michigan State Police investigation.

James Warren Lake, 54, was arraigned on Friday afternoon in the 86th District court on the following charges: embezzlement of $100,000 or more and habitual offender third-offense notice.

MSP began their investigation into Lake's books in January after receiving a tip from Mancino's owner, Lt. Derrick Carroll said in a press release.

Carroll explained that investigators noticed a "catastrophic" difference in the rewards program between Mancino's locations at Chum's Corners and West Bay. Only one computer was used for more than 99 percent of all rewards transactions, located in Lake's office, according to police reports.

Those rewards were then back-entered into transactions, Carroll said, and cash was taken out from the tills to represent those rewards.

Since 2019, MSP investigators suspect Lake embezzled more than $130,000. Following the investigation, he was arrested on March 1 and taken to Grand Traverse County Jail.

Lake was given a $25,000 personal recognizance bond, and his next scheduled court appearance is on March 24 at 11 a.m.