Bushkill Township woman accused of stealing $100,000 in company checks to pay personal bills - UPDATE

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

A Bushkill Township woman is accused of using 20 company checks to pay her personal bills, according to Colonial Regional Police.

Anne E. Difrancesco, 33, of the 200 block of Daniels Road, is charged with theft by deception after stealing $102,924 during one year from Star Pontiac-Buick-GMC in Lower Nazareth Township, police said. Difrancesco was an employee of the dealership, police said.

Difrancesco also was charged with forgery and receiving stolen property. She was arraigned today before District Judge David Tidd and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail.

According to court records:

Dealership controller Debbie Sisselberger became suspicious when she noticed checks made payable to credit cards. When Difrancesco, the dealership title clerk, saw Sisselberger going through the checks Difrancesco admitted to stealing from the company.

Difrancesco said that she would alter paperwork that she sent to the state by making it appear that Star had taken a trade in on a sale and listed the valued of the trade on the forms. She would then write a check for the same amount to pay her bills, mostly credit cards.

An audit from January 2011 found 20 checks that Difrancesco forged using the signature of dealership owner Clete Landis.


An audit from January 2011 found 20 checks that Difrancesco forged using the signature of dealership owner Clete Landis:

•Jan. 7, 2011, check for $2,448.30 and a check for $1,930.80

•Jan. 12, 2011, a check for $5,998.77
•Jan. 18, 2011, a check for $6,827.18
•Feb. 28, 2011, a check for $848.18
•June 2, 2011, a check for $2,872.85
•July 22, 2011, checks for $2,308.40, $2,361.77 and $1,810.84
•July 28, 2011, a $6,811.68 check
•Aug. 8, 2011, a $5,247.71 check
•Aug. 19, 2011, checks of $2,555.78, $14,354.39 and $1,861.81
•Sept. 29, 2011, a $11,068.34 check
•Oct. 3, 2011, a $7,201.34 check
•Nov. 1, 2011, a $2,782.69 check
•Nov. 10, 2011, a $6,845.94 check
•Nov. 28, 2011, a $10,763.10 check
•Dec. 23, 2011, a $6,024.78 check

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/nazareth/index.ssf/2012/02/nazareth_woman_accused_of_stea_1.html