A Monroe County man has been charged with stealing $30,000 in gift cards from his former employer.

State police at Stroudsburg charged Haydn Watkins, 29, of East Stroudsburg, on felony theft and related charges.

According to troopers an investigation began on Dec. 12, 2019, into the theft of about $30,000 in gift cards from the Wyndham Resorts, located in Smithfield Township. A further investigation by Troopers Casey Foster and Thomas Gallagher identified Watkins, a former employee, as the lead suspect. Watkins utilized the company’s American Express gift card system to create the gift cards for his own use throughout the fall of 2019. Police said Watkins used the stolen gift cards to purchase two pistols from Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters in Stroudsburg.

On July 24 Gallagher spoke with Watkins at his current place of employment and was subsequently taken into custody. Watkins was found to be in possession of one of the stolen gift cards along with glassine baggies of heroin.

Watkins made a full confession. Watkins appeared to be attempting to trade the pistols for heroin from an unknown dealer in Paterson, New Jersey. The two pistols were recovered from an associate’s residence in Mount Bethel, Northampton County.

Watkins is currently an inmate in the county prison in Snydersville on the charges.