D.A.: Chief financial officer used stolen funds for lavish purchases
Guido R. La Vella, 27, of Gilbertsville, is accused of embezzling more than $1.4 million from his Chester County employer, Taylor Gifts.
To finance a lavish lifestyle that included interacting with the Dave Matthews Band, the former chief financial officer of a Chester County company embezzled over $1.4 million from his employer, authorities said Wednesday.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan and Tredyffrin Township Police Superintendent Anthony Giaimo announced the arrest of Guido R. La Vella, 27, of Gilbertsville, a four-year employee of Taylor Gifts, Inc., a Tredyffrin-based company that specializes in providing direct order gifts to customers around the world.
“The defendant abused his position of trust in the company to line his own pockets, “ said Hogan. “While Americans everywhere were struggling to find jobs and make ends meet, the defendant was living the high life by stealing from his own employer.”
Hogan said the theft was uncovered when a bank alerted Taylor Gifts that a large amount of money was being transferred out of a company account. The company checked, and determined that the money was being moved from the company’s account into the defendant’s account, Hogan said.
Taylor Gifts retained a financial consulting firm to do an audit and contacted law enforcement, triggering an investigation by Tredyffrin Township Police and Chester County Detectives, Hogan said.
The audit and investigation determined that the defendant was stealing money from Taylor Gifts mainly in two ways, according to the criminal complaint. First, the defendant was charging personal items to his credit card and then claiming reimbursement from the company as a business expense; secondly, the defendant would issue duplicate reimbursement checks for certain expenses, pretend to void out one of the checks, but still retain the funds for himself, the complaint said.
Hogan said the case offers another example to businesses of the need for tight accounting procedures. “Payments need to be checked by multiple people and periodically reviewed by outside sources, such as accountants or auditors,” Hogan said. “Unfortunately, a determined insider often will be able to avoid detection for some period of time.”
La Vella used the stolen funds to purchase high-end automobiles, including a BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Fiat, Hogan said. The defendant spent $48,000 of the company’s money to attend a concert and meet-and-greet with the Dave Matthews Band, and also purchased jewelry from Tiffany’s, season tickets to the Eagles, and other personal items at the company’s expense. “This was not a crime of need, it was a crime of simple greed,” Hogan said.
La Vella faces charges that include felony theft, forgery, and related offenses, Hogan said. According to court records, La Vella, who posted a $100,000 bond, waived his preliminary hearing on Wednesday. A formal arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 14, records said.
Tredyffrin Township Police Superintendent Anthony Giaimo said the arrest highlights the importance of having trained investigators. “We see that again due to a great working relationship and partnership, Chester County law enforcement agencies were able to work a complex financial case to a very successful conclusion,” Giaimo said.
