Additional Details Released on Man Accused of Stealing Nearly $23K from Emlenton Medical Corporation

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published April 27, 2018 4:34 am
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EMLENTON, Pa. (EYT) — An Emlenton man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly issued unauthorized checks to himself totaling nearly $23,000.00 from a corporation trust account.

Court documents indicate that the Franklin-based State Police filed criminal charges against 37-year-old Charles Francis Planker, of Emlenton.

According to a criminal complaint, around 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25, the Board of Directors of the Emlenton Area Medical Corporation contacted the Franklin-based State Police regarding Charles Francis Planker, who was sworn in as treasurer of the corporation on June 28, 2017.

The corporation oversees a trust that manages the building located at 518 Main Street in Emlenton. A portion of the building is leased to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the other portion of the building is inhabited by the Emlenton Fitness Center, which is overseen by the corporation. These businesses are the source of the income for the trust account the corporation manages.

The former treasurer, who is also a board member, advised Planker of his duties and requirements when he was sworn in. Planker was tasked with handling the trust account of the corporation, which was held by a local bank. Planker received a monthly payment of $100.00 for this service.

According to the complaint, the board secretary and the fitness center employees are the only other personnel who received payments for services from the trust account.

The complaint states that Planker was questioned by the Board of Directors several times when he failed to provide them with a quarterly treasurer’s report. He supplied a report that was inadequate in September of 2017.

On April 24, the Board of Directors asked an associate to perform an audit. The board advised Planker to supply the auditor with the accounting books for the trust, but Planker failed to supply them.

According to the complaint, on April 25, the president and the secretary of the Emlenton Area Medical Corporation Board of Directors went to the local bank and spoke with the branch manager. They asked to review the account history because of concerns about the treasurer.

Upon a review of the checking account history, they discovered evidence that Planker had been issuing unauthorized checks to himself starting on October 1, 2017, and continued through April 23, 2018. The total sum of the unauthorized checks totaled $22,600.00, the complaint states.

Planker was arraigned at 11:15 am on Thursday, April 26, at Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey’s office on a third-degree charge of Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property.

Unable to post $7,500.00 monetary bail, he remains lodged in the Venango County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 2, 2018, with Judge Lowrey presiding.

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