Former Reading Restaurant Manager Accused of $50,000 Theft

WOBURN - A former general manager at a popular Reading restaurant is accused of stealing more than $50,000 from the business in a gift-card scam.

Reading police also allege that Sean Mullen, 38, of 160 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge also stole $640 from the Biltmore & Main Restaurant's staff had been collecting for charity.

In Woburn District Court on Friday, Mullen had his bail set at $250 after pleading not guilty to larceny over $250 by single scheme.

In court, Mullen's attorney said he denies the allegations.

In January, Reading Police began an investigation into a report of a long-time larceny, totaling more than $50,000 from the restaurant at 530 Main St. where Mullen was formerly employed as a general manager.

Mullen allegedly engaged in a scheme by taking 673 cash transactions and voiding them, then changing the restaurant’s computer records to show that the voided cash transactions had instead been made by restaurant gift cards.

Mullen then allegedly took the cash from the restaurant’s safe.

He is also accused of tasking $640 collected by restaurant employees for charity from the safe.

After he was fired, Mullen allegedly returned to the restaurant after it had closed and took items including a ladder, Christmas lights and extension cords.

After an extensive investigation and several attempts to contact him, Reading Police obtained an arrest warrant.

With the assistance of the Cambridge Police Department, Mullen was arrested on Thursday without incident at his apartment.

Judge Timothy Gailey ordered Mullen to stay away from witnesses and from the restaurant.

He is scheduled for a May 9 pretrial conference.

Photo by Lisa Redmond, Patch staff.