Stolen $200,000 won’t kill business
By Greg Bock, gbock@altoonamirror.com
POSTED: February 19, 2008
TYRONE — The alleged embezzlement of $200,000 by two former employees hasn’t seriously affected the health of a Snyder County business, its chief operating officer said this week.
“It certainly isn’t an insignificant amount,” Lion Country Supply Chief Operating Officer Randy Carlson said of the $203,022.35 state police allege was stolen by Crystal R. Colyer and Karen L. Kopera from 2005-07.
Colyer, 39, was an office manager and Kopera, 43, was an assistant manager at the 34-year-old hunting dog supplier on Route 220 near Port Matilda. Police claim the pair siphoned money from the Lion Country Supply merchant services account using the business’ credit card machine.
Carlson stressed that the scheme didn’t involve customer credit card accounts. He said it first came to light last summer.
“There were some things that just didn’t make sense,” Carlson said.
A review of the books ultimately led to an investigation by state police on Oct. 29, the same day court documents indicate the pair were fired. Colyer and Kopera were arrested earlier this month and charged separately with stealing $121,560 and $81,461, respectively.
Colyer, who police say admitted to the theft, waived her preliminary hearing last week. Kopera is scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Fred Miller March 4.
Carlson said owner John Koritko was “surprised and saddened” that two people he had put his trust in and who had previously come to him for help were behind the theft.
“It was disappointing to us,” Carlson said.
In the scheme, the pair credited their own bank and credit card accounts with fraudulent refunds. It involved many small transactions over a long period of time, a factor that made it hard to detect, but also made it less of a financial burden, Carlson said.
He said the company hopes to get the money back if the pair are found guilty, a process he said he knows might take some time.
“We’re certainly hoping restitution is involved,” Carlson said.
Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7446.
Member Comments
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Brian1
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02-19-08 8:52 PM
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I am a business owner and also a victim of employee theft. I had a 36 year old woman managing my business and found out she stole over $1000.00 Dollars over a 2 week period. When I first noticed the money missing, she was the last person I suspected. I had several customers ask me "Where did you find this lady, she is so friendly, you are so lucky!" It totally devastated me when I realized it was her. I later found out this lady was a career thief with a police record of similar crimes going back 13 years. Needless to say, I now do thorough background checks on all my employees. Just a little food for thought.
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