Disneyland employee Taron Sargsyan claims he spent $24,000 on his corporate credit card so his paycheck could go to DRUGS - and the House of Mouse allowed him to pay it back without firing him

A former Disney employee wrote he spent $24,000 on his corporate card while deep in drug addiction, and the House of Mouse's compassion allowed him to pay back the ill-gotten money instead of firing him. 

Taron Sargsyan, a Californian of Armenian descent, revealed the personal struggles he was facing as he attempted to balance his meth addiction with his first job out of college at Disney.

After completing two internships with Disney at the end of his time at the University of Southern California, Sargsyan was offered a full-time position as a software engineer on the Photopass team - Disney's park souvenir picture service.

In an essay published by Business Insider, Sargsyan called the job a 'haven' during a difficult time in his life.

He wrote that he was traumatized after 'coming out as gay to my Armenian family,' which 'brought a lonely, dark fog over my life.'

'Most of my money was spent on drugs and on helping out my immigrant family,' he said.

It was then that he began using his company card for extra-curricular expenses.

He said he told himself he'd pay it all back, but he was spiraling and quickly was in over his head.

In an interview with the New York Post, Sargsyan said he indirectly used the corporate Disney card to pay for drugs by using it to fund life expenses - groceries, doctors, gas and other daily costs.

'This card supported my drug habit because it allowed me to use my personal income on most of my drug expenses,' he said.

In 2017, Sargsyan was desperate and afraid, and on the advice of a stranger, opted to admit what he'd done to his manager.

'I was terrified I’d get fired or go to jail, but Disney offered me the greatest gesture of love anyone could’ve shown me,' he wrote.

He said the company afforded him a chance to repay the money and he walked away with just a formal warning.

He clarified to the Post he did not directly admit to his manager that he was suffering from a drug addiction, just that he had misused his company card.

Ultimately, his family - who he said he'd been helping to support - gave him a loan to pay back all of the money. He worked for the next year to pay them back.

The then-Disney employee said the company's kindness and understanding gave him the drive he needed to go to rehab - though he failed at maintaining his sobriety six times before it worked.

Sargsyan wrote about his positive experience at an Orange County rehab center, explaining the treatment allowed him to rediscover his own humanity, as well as those of his family and employer.

'Disney showed me that compassion can be a powerful force to inspire forgiveness and accountability,' he wrote. 'I extended the same understanding and forgiveness that I'd received to my own family.'

'I moved back in with my family to heal the rift in our relationship. My family was the primary source of my addiction triggers back then,' he continued.

In 2019, Sargsyan left the company and has since made it his purpose to share his story, including the impact the mega-entertainment conglomerate had on his life.

He has also worked hard on his relationship with his family to 'heal the damage I caused them during my active addiction.'

'Had it not been for Disney's impact on my life, I may not have healed from my addiction or my relationship with my family.'