W. Goshen detectives said they stole more than $150,000 from their employer
Edward Charsha
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
After a five-month investigation, detectives have charged a Downingtown couple with embezzlement, West Goshen Township Police said on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Police said the couple’s alleged scheme began to unravel after the president of Alfred J. Fry III, also known as Fry Electric, hired a third party to review the company financials when the electrical contracting business was listed for sale. The audit revealed that Stephanie Matusky, 45, a 10-year employee working as the office manager/accountant, had submitted fictitious receipts for $43,000 in reimbursements for her fiancé, Edward Charsha, 38, who was employed by the company as a mechanic, police said.
After they were confronted, Matusky and Charsha began to repay Fry Electric for the misappropriated funds, police said, however, the repayments occurred at a suspiciously quick pace. As a result, Fry Electric began to search computer and email records and learned that Charsha was selling large amounts of electrical construction equipment on internet-based auction sites. The president confronted Charsha, and he admitted stealing Fry Electric equipment and selling it to repay the debt, police said, adding that Matusky and Charsha were then terminated.
Stephanie Matusky
The president contacted West Goshen police, and detectives began serving internet search warrants and searching other law enforcement databases, police said. Investigators learned that Charsha had been selling stolen Fry Electric equipment for the last two years, police said.
West Goshen detectives were able to recover approximately $9,000 in stolen equipment from pawn shops in Chester and Montgomery Counties, police said. Fry Electric conducted an audit of all the business accounts and learned that Charsha had also been making unauthorized charge account purchases at local business vendors in the amount of $22,000, police said. Fry Electric then audited Matusky’s expense reports and located an additional $63,000 in bogus expense reports, police said.
Fry Electric is still attempting to reconcile the total loss, but preliminary estimates are in access of $150,000, police said. Matusky and Charsha, who face charges that include theft by unlawful taking or disposition, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy, were taken into custody at their home and arraigned in front of the on-call magisterial district judge. Bail was set at $100,000 each unsecured, police said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18 before Magisterial District Judge William Kraut in West Chester.
