BOARDMAN — Two local women stand accused of stealing from their employer.

Shaniqua Donlow, 35, of Boardman, is facing one felony count of theft, and Angela Brown, 43, of New Middletown, is charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, for allegedly defrauding Big Lots in Boardman.

The report from Boardman Police Department states that an employee at the store filed a complaint on Oct. 19, accusing Donlow and another unnamed suspect of abusing their manager codes to issue each other refunds for merchandise they never purchased. They allegedly loaded the refunded money onto store gift cards and used the gift cards to purchase items in the store.

The man said returns require a cashier and a manager and the women would take turns acting as cashier for the other. He said the thefts began on July 11. Donlow is accused of stealing more than $7,200, and the other woman is accused of taking nearly $2,600.

The report states that Brown began aiding the other two on Aug. 20, sometimes acting as a cashier for their fraudulent returns and other times making her own. The report states that Brown would “buy” the merchandise when it was on sale then return it at a later date and receive a refund for the regular retail value of the item. Brown is accused of stealing about $280 worth of merchandise.

Donlow was arrested on Boardman’s warrant Tuesday by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, and Brown was picked up by Springfield police in New Middletown on Sunday.

Donlow made an initial appearance Tuesday, and Mahoning County Boardman Court Judge Joseph Houser imposed a $2,500 cash or surety bond, which Donlow posted. She is due back in court for a pretrial hearing Dec. 19, court records show.

Brown was arraigned Tuesday, but court records have not been updated because of the holiday.