THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WALB) - Four former employees of a local Thomasville restaurant have been arrested.

According to the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), those arrested include:

• Dawn Russell, 41
• Dion Wright, 37
• Gernesha Taplin, 20
• Keyairah Burton, 19

The sheriff’s office began conducting an investigation into employee theft and embezzlement at the local IHOP after receiving a report from corporate management. Management filed the report with the sheriff’s office after conducting their own review of records based on an internal complaint they had received.

The theft was on-going for an extended period of time, according to TCSO.

Based on the incident report, about $21,000 of fraud has been detected since May 18, 2025.

As a result of the investigation, all four former employees were arrested and now face criminal charges.

TCSO says that this is an active investigation as information continues to be obtained and analyzed.

We will update you on air and online as we learn more. Stay with us.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.