Chelmsford High School Janitor Charged with Larceny

Chelmsford police have charged a Chlemsford High School janitor with larceny after a lengthy investigation started when money started disappearing from a cafeteria cash register.

Nineteen-year-old Jowell Ramos of Lawrence is being charged with larceny from a building. He is an Aramark employee.

According to Police Chief James Spinney, officers conducted a month-long investigation leading up to the charges against Ramos.

>> Editor’s note: This information from the Chelmsford Police Department does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a Massachusetts Patch police report.

Detectives first responded to Chelmsford High School on Sept. 29 for a report of a past larceny. A school administrator reported that money had been disappearing from a cafeteria cash drawer for several weeks.

After each shift, the cash drawer is placed in a locked closet for which janitors and cafeteria workers have a key, according to police. Employees began noticing that, on several occasions, the drawer was no longer balanced.

Staff told police there was never a sign of forced entry into the closet.

The subsequent investigation led police to Ramos.

“This is an unfortunate situation where a man allegedly stole from his place of employment on several instances,” Spinney said. “I applaud the work of the detectives who were able to successfully identify the suspect in this case.”

In addition to the larceny charge, Ramos is also forbidden from visiting school property.