By Joanna Putman
Police1
SAN FRANCISCO — A former Safeway loss-prevention manager has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the supermarket chain, alleging wrongful termination after giving deli sandwiches and fried chicken to police officers conducting shoplifting stings, the San Francisco Standard reported.
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Oscar Santos Jr., 33, claims he was falsely accused of violating company policies after another employee reported that he took food from the deli counter in late 2023, according to the report. Santos maintains that the food was provided to police officers with the store management’s approval as a thank-you gesture for their assistance with shoplifting operations.
Santos, who managed organized retail crime investigations from Fresno to the Oregon border, stated that this practice was customary and approved by his previous supervisor.
“My old boss said, ‘We’re going to take care of them. Give them some sandwiches or something from the deli,’” Santos told The Standard. “This was something I was authorized to do.”
However, after the supervisor’s death, a new director questioned him about the practice and subsequently suspended him, according to the report.
Santos received a termination letter a few weeks later, citing violations of company policy. He argues that the accusations were unfounded, stating that he was never accused of stealing the food but rather of giving it away without proper documentation.
A law enforcement official who worked with Santos confirmed that he occasionally provided food to officers, describing it as “a nice gesture.” Attorney Neil Eisenberg, representing Santos, claims that Safeway used the sandwich issue as a pretext to terminate him and other high-paid employees, replacing them with lower-paid workers, according to the report.
Santos, who spent over 11 years with Safeway, said the termination has made job interviews difficult to navigate. He stated that he is starting a new job next month.
The lawsuit, filed on June 28 in San Francisco Superior Court, seeks $20 million in punitive damages for wrongful termination and harm to Santos’ reputation and mental health.
