ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Walt Disney World employee has been arrested after investigators say he stole a guest’s checkbook from her vehicle and cashed nearly $1,300 in fraudulent checks, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim, a visitor from Ohio, told deputies she valeted her vehicle Saturday at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village. According to an arrest report, several days later she received a series of bank notifications alerting her to withdrawals she did not authorize.
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Investigators say the woman first received an alert Wednesday for a $250 withdrawal, followed by another for $670. Moments later, she received notifications for two additional checks, one for $98 and another for $230, totaling nearly $1,300.
The woman told deputies she checked her vehicle and found no signs of forced entry, but her checkbook was missing. Detectives say the victim’s bank provided images of the cashed checks, all made out to a man named Mason Henrichsen. This is a name the victim said she did not recognize.
Deputies contacted the valet manager at the resort, who confirmed that Henrichsen worked at Kidani Village and was scheduled to report for his shift Wednesday night. When Henrichsen arrived, deputies detained him and read him his rights, the report states.
According to investigators, Henrichsen told deputies he “found a check on the parking lot ground and decided to write it out to himself.” Detectives say he admitted to depositing the checks at a Chase Bank branch near Disney Springs.
Court records show Henrichsen is facing two felony charges for forgery and fraud. The sheriff’s office says the case will be forwarded to the Economic Crimes Unit for further review.
Disney has not responded to inquiries about Henrichsen’s employment status.