A delivery driver for a food mart store in Harlingen was arrested for allegedly stealing more than $40,000 from the business, according to a news release.

The news release said 49-year-old Ricardo Carlos Villanueva was a bakery delivery driver for Steve's Food Mart and had been falsifying invoices and pocketing the payments. This resulted in a total loss of $44,467.42 to the business.

According to the news release, Harlingen police were contacted by the owner on August 15, 2024, who reported that a known male subject, identified as Villanueva, had been stealing over an extended period. At the time of the report, the total finances were still being determined.

A thorough investigation revealed Villanueva's scheme spanned from January 2023 to July 2024, according to the news release.

The news release said an arrest warrant was issued for Villanueva and, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, he was apprehended in January in Mercedes.

Villanueva was arraigned and issued a $30,000 bond.