News

November 5, 2008

Ex-employee charged with theft

Former construction office manager alleged to have stolen $50K from employer.

By Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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WEST PITTSTON – A former office manager at a construction company was charged by Exeter police on Tuesday with stealing approximately $50,000 from the business.

Mary Jo F. Poepperling, 50, of Brooke Lane, Mountain Top, was charged with three counts of theft and forgery, and one count each of tampering with records and access device fraud. She was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Carmody in West Pittston and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.

Police allege the thefts took place from February 2004 to June 2007 while Poepperling was employed at Kuharchik Construction in Exeter.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Sgt. Leonard P. Galli:

Poepperling’s responsibilities were handling the company’s finances and office. She was provided a company credit card for business-related expenditures. Poepperling resigned from the company in July 2007 shortly after her request for a $30,000 raise was denied, the criminal complaint says.

Police said in the criminal complaint that an internal audit performed by the company showed funds were missing. The company’s owner, Rhoda Kuharchik, also received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service in July 2007, stating the company’s business tax in the amount of $87,000 had not been paid, according to the criminal complaint.

The internal audit, the criminal complaint says, determined Poepperling issued five checks to herself from the company’s account between March 2005 and January 2006 and also diverted company funds to a separate account she had established.

Police allege Poepperling used funds from the separate account for personal use.

Poepperling also used the company’s credit card to pay personal bills, and at restaurants, movies, hotels and on expenses for her daughter’s wedding, including the reception at a Plains Township hotel, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said the total for alleged use of the credit card was $24,853. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13 in Central Court.

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