Does a retail corporation employer have any base for making an employee pay the difference on merchandise that was marked down by managers?

My employer, a retail corporation, has recently been investigating and firing employees for having purchased merchandise marked down in price by managers. I have purchased marked down items that were not marked down specifically for myself but for the public to purchase; as the managers marked the items down to make space for incoming merchandise. Speaking with other ex-employees, some of which include the managers that did the marking down, the Asset Protection Manager "interviews" them and presents them with the choice of either agreeing to pay the difference they owe based on the original price of the item or have a warrant out for their house to be searched/go to jail. If I have purchased these items with no special request to the managers to mark down the merchandise specifically for myself, i.e. I purchased it fair and square, is there any base for the manager to come after me? Shouldn't the managers be responsible at the very least for having marked down the items and not myself