By Patrick Yost

editor 

A former Golden Pantry clerk is wanted for theft by conversion after she allegedly tried to replace real money in the cash register with “toy” money.

Madison Police Department officers are searching for Nichole Asheley Cook, 24, after a manager of the Golden Pantry, North Main Street, alleged that Cook placed six “toy” $20 bills into the cash register and removed real money on Nov. 7. 

The manager filed the complaint with the police department on Nov. 8 after he reviewed store video surveillance.

Reports state that the manager was alerted to a problem after customers began to complain that they had been given “toy” money as change.

Reports state that the “toy” money is green with “Toy Money” printed on the front side of the bills. 

At one point, reports state, Cook allegedly attempted to make a safe deposit drop into the store safe using a real $50 bill and fake $20 bills. The safe mechanism rejected the fake bills, reports state. 

Reports allege that after she attempted to make the deposit and failed, she placed a real $100 bill in her pocket and put the “toy” $20 bills into the cash register. A warrant for Cook’s arrest has been filed, Det. Wes Thompson, Madison Police Department, said.