Manager accused me of stealing [US]
An employee wallet was stolen from their locker. A coworker confided in me that the manager told several employees that I was the one who stole it. I and other employees have reported him several times bc of harassment and poor management. He in particular does not like me.
What he is saying is that I stole the wallet and there's proof bc unauthorized charges were made at a time I was not in the office. I have already emailed hr about this. I have to speak to hr today via phone. Do you have any advice on how to conduct myself during the phone call and how I should proceed. At this point for an unrelated reason prior to this incident I already emailed the manager and asked him not to talk to me unless it was for an urgent work matter and to contact me through the company email. He agreed to this.