Boss Holding Money Out Of Check - What Can I Do?

Location: Louisiana

I (f40) started a new job at a larger gas station and had been there for about a couple of days when things first started to go left. There’s a specific way that you are supposed to deposit your money from your till, and I had a $100 that would not go in. I asked the other person I was working with (I was still in training, he was the one guiding me) what to do. I asked him if I should put the money in a brown paper bag and slip it under the door to my boss’ office or if I should put it in with our paperwork. He told me to put it in the brown bag and in with our paperwork.

The next day, I texted my boss to let him know beings it was late the night before (it was my first time closing (Saturday night)). He called and asked me if I put it in the safe the next day after I texted him. I told him no, and what I had actually done with it. When he got there that following Monday, he claimed it wasn’t there. Now he’s trying to hold it out of my check. He’s has already held out $25 because he was going to hold it out in increments. I didn’t take the money, but I’m having to pay it back.

Turns out I was supposed to put it in a drop box to a safe. I did not know this as my coworker did not once mention this to me. I asked my boss to confront this coworker because my boss did not see to believe me/brushed me off about cameras. He confronted the coworker in front of me and the coworker at first said that he told me but after clarification he said he must have misunderstood me.

As far as cameras go, the one pointing towards his door that would’ve seen me put the brown paper bag in with the paperwork/anyone taking it out was pointing at the floor for whatever reason. I recently just found this out, and at first I was asking if there was anyway for him to look at the cameras. He always brushed it off and said he didn’t have the time.

This past Saturday night, we had a power surge. I had just rang a man up when it happened, and the register got that a man had been rang up, but no money to account for. This was because after the register started working again, my coworker (the same one that was training me) rang him up on his because his register came on first. This made my register come up $20 short (I assume this is where the $20 short comes from because the total was $19 and some cents.)

Now my boss (or ex boss as of writing) is claiming that it was $30 short, still trying to make me pay for the $100, and is telling the other employees that I am accusing them of taking it. I did not take the money, I did not once accuse any one of taking the money. I can’t place blame when I don’t know where to place blame at.

For added context, this man (boss) does not seem to have that great of a reputation. People constantly come up short/steal from him and he doesn’t do anything about it (I can’t say anything about this specifically for sure because I’ve just heard about it through word of mouth). He is not the nicest person ever, at all. Really not at all. The other employees don’t favor him that much either. Once again, at all.

Is this legal for him to do? I feel like it’s not right. The coworker training me should have told me that there was a drop box to put the money in, but he didn’t say anything about it at all (he has been there for years). Overall I don’t know what to do or think. I need any advice. Anything helps. Thanks