Former Orr Marine Employees Indicted In Alleged Theft Of Over $400K

NEW BOSTON, Texas–Two former Gregg Orr Marine & RV employees were indicted Thursday by a Bowie County grand jury for allegedly working together over a roughly five-year period to steal more than $400,000 from the Texarkana business.

Jay Michael Freeman, 43, and Loren Bailey Jones, 34, each face five to 99 years or life in prison if convicted of theft of property over $300,000.

The scheme to defraud the business began to unravel last year in July when it was discovered that Freeman, Orr Marine’s general manager, had been overpaid $40,000 in bonuses, according to a probable cause affidavit. The company at first believed the overpayment was the result of a “clerical error” by Jones, the store’s controller, the affidavit said.

Freeman was allowed to pay back the bonus overpayment funds over a period of months last year but the situation triggered a sweeping internal investigation of the store’s accounting. That investigation revealed that Freeman and Jones had been working together to allegedly steal from their employer going back as far as 2020, the affidavit said.

Jones was fired from her position Aug. 15 of last year, the same day Freeman resigned, reportedly telling Orr Marine that he had secured other employment, the affidavit said. Jones had worked for the company since August 2019 and Freeman had been an employee there since March of 2015.

In September, company management went to police and requested that a criminal investigation be launched, the affidavit said. Both Freeman and Jones were arrested in March, according to a statement from the Texarkana Texas Police Department in March.

In all, police identified 15 episodes of theft allegedly orchestrated by Freeman and Jones that cost the business $403,575, the affidavit said.

The thefts from the business included altering business records to conceal the removal of property from inventory that was either used or sold for the personal benefit of Freeman and Jones.

Over the years, Jones allegedly helped divert more than $300,000 of Orr Marine capital to Freeman via 201 different checks from Jan. 24, 2020, through Aug. 15, 2025, their last day of employment.

Freeman and Jones are currently free on bonds of $75,000.

Freeman is represented by John Pickett while Jones is represented by Jason Horton.

The case has been assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell.