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‘Not making as much’: Volusia man accused of stealing over $600K from crane company in yearslong scheme

Ray Rutt, 47, faces charges of grand theft and scheming to defraud

Ray Rutt, 47 (Volusia County Jail)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Volusia County man was arrested this week after being accused of stealing over $600,000 from his employer, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.

In an arrest affidavit, police said that Ray Rutt, 47 — a former office manager at Bryson Crane Rental Services — turned himself in to the Port Orange Police Department on Sunday.

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Another affidavit says that Rutt had worked for the company since 2004, being promoted to manager in 2014.

Thanks to his knowledge and skills, Rutt was able to “modernize” the company’s office and bookkeeping practices, earning himself a “position of authority and trust,” police said.

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However, Rutt falsified his timecards between 2014 and 2019 to claim over $450,000 in total overtime pay, the affidavit shows.

“Based on Ray Rutt Jr.’s job responsibilities at Bryson Crane Services as the office manager, he was not making as much as his former position of crane operator,” the affidavit reads. “Ray Rutt Jr. should not have submitted a weekly timecard reflecting more than 60 hours a week; 40 hours regular time and 20 hours of overtime.”

In addition, Rutt paid 17 unauthorized checks to himself, misused company credit cards, and received paychecks while on vacation to take even more money, according to detectives.

After being fired in 2019, Rutt bought several pieces of construction equipment and started his own crane company, investigators explained.

Now, Rutt faces charges of scheming to defraud, unlicensed money services and grand theft. He is held on bond of $250,000.


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