Lancaster woman charged with theft from elderly resident
A Lancaster County woman has been charged with cashing a total of $9,200 in checks belonging to a man living in an Orwigsburg area senior center.
Rachel M. Weiss, 39, of Ephrata, was charged by state police at Schuylkill Haven with five felony counts each of theft by unlawful taking-movable property, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make a required disposition of funds.
On Aug. 7, Weiss waived her right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge James R. Ferrier of Orwigsburg, meaning the charges were sent to Schuylkill County court.
She remains free on $2,500 unsecured bail.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Justin S. Bedford, here’s what happened.
On Nov. 10, 2017, Bedford was dispatched to Weston Senior Living Center at Pinebrook to investigate a theft of money.
He met with interim office administrator Victoria Snyder, who told him she had been reviewing documents and noticed that checks sent from an insurance company to a resident at the center were being cashed.
She contacted the bank, and was told Weiss had cashed the checks, dating to June 2017.
According to the center’s policy, all checks are to be sent to the corporate office in Easton.
Bedford said he spoke with Weiss, who admitted cashing the checks.
