Jury to continue deliberating LCCC theft case Friday

Update:

Luzerne County Senior Judge Kenneth Brown said jurors will be sent home tonight after being unable to reach a verdict, and return Friday morning to continue deliberations.

The jury deliberated for nearly four hours Thursday. They will resume deliberations at 9 a.m. Friday.

Posted: 4:04 p.m.

Attorney William Ruzzo and Assistant District Attorney Michael Melnick have completed their closing arguments.

Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Senior Judge Kenneth Brown will now instruct the jury on the law regarding two theft charges Peter Moses' faces before they are sent to deliberate.

In his closing argument, Ruzzo said he found it suspicious that two cafeteria workers pointed the finger at Moses as the person who stole $17,000 from the cafeteria.

Ruzzo also said investigators shouldn't have relied on a calendar the two workers made to keep track of alleged missing money.

Melnick said in his closing argument that Moses is the one that took the money and two laptop computers, and all the evidence he presented points in Moses' direction.

Melnick said once Moses left the college, the thefts stopped and that when all else failed, Moses' pointed the finger at other cafeteria workers.

Posted: 12:03 p.m.

Peter Moses didn't suspect anyone of taking money from the LCCC cafeteria in a one year period beginning in November 2005.

To this day, Moses said, he doesn't know how the money went missing or who might have taken it.

As far as the two laptop computers Moses is also charged with stealing from the college, he doesn't know where they are, and the last place he saw one of them was in the closet of his office at the college.

Moses was called to testify in his own defense this morning, and will be cross examined by prosecutors after a lunch recess.

"I never stole a deposit," Moses testified. "I never even thought about stealing a deposit."

Moses testified it was brought to his attention that there were gaps in cafeteria deposits, but that he didn't know a theft was occurring until he was charged with the crime himself.

Moses said he even suggested a Brink's armored car transport the money from the cafeteria to the college's business office to ensure the money was arriving safely.

Check back at www.timesleader.com for updates.

Posted: 10:58 a.m.

WILKES-BARRE -- George Moses testified his brother is a law-abiding citizen, who, on occasion, he had to loan money to.

Moses, the older brother of Peter Moses, who is standing trial on charges he stole $17,000 and two laptop computers from Luzerne County Community College, testified on behalf of his brother Thursday morning.

Moses, a surgeon, is expected to be one of the last witnesses called by Peter Moses' attorney, William Ruzzo, before attorneys present closing arguments.

Ruzzo also called an accountant to the stand, who testified a calendar kept by a food service worker showing when money was missing and who was tasked with bringing it to the college's business office wasn't credible.

Check back at www.timesleader.com for updates.