A 19-year-old has been charged with theft by taking after Gwinnett County police say he scammed more than $980,000 from an area Kroger.

Tre Brown was an employee at the Kroger on Steve Reynolds Boulevard in Duluth, where police say he was able to create more than 40 returns for non-existent items and credit the money to several credit cards. The returns ranged from $75 to more than $87,000. In total, police, say, Brown was able to steal more than $980,000 during a period of two weeks.

Corporate employees with Kroger notice the fraudulent transactions and notified police.

Investigators say Brown used the money to purchase guns, shoes and two vehicles. A large portion of the money was returned following Brown’s arrest.

— Staff Reports