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WILKES-BARRE — An Edwardsville man is accused of stealing from the dead.
City police obtained an arrest warrant Thursday for Tim Marcincavage, 49, of Zerby Avenue, charging him with theft, access device fraud and receiving stolen property.
According to the criminal complaint:
Marcincavage removed a wallet from the pockets of Fred Blancino when Marcincavage found Blancino deceased on Feb. 16. Blancino was owner of Fred’s Garage in Wilkes-Barre and Marcincavage was an employee at the garage.
After finding Blancino deceased, Marcincavage allegedly searched his pockets and removed a wallet before calling Luzerne County 911.
Blancino’s family noticed unauthorized use of credit cards from Feb. 16 to March 9, the complaint says.
Police allege a stolen credit card was used at a car wash on Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Township. Surveillance cameras at the car wash recorded a man who allegedly used the stolen credit card washing a Jeep Grand Cherokee on March 2 and a Jeep Wrangler on March 3.
Police traced the license plates from the Jeeps to Samuel Okane, who claimed Marcincavage gave him the credit cards. Okane told police Marcincavage claimed the credit cards belonged to his wife but the cards could not be processed for cash advances. Marcincavage was using the cards to purchase gasoline then taking less than $10 in cash from purchases, the complaint says.
Okane told police he found out the credit cards belonged to Blancino when one of the credit cards was declined.
Police said the total amount of unauthorized purchases was $572.25.
Marcincavage has not been arraigned on the charges.