CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A Clarion man who made a false bank card fraud report to authorities was sentenced on Wednesday to time served.
(Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)
Clarion County President Judge James G. Arner sentenced 35-year-old Patrick Ryan Wiegand on Wednesday, November 20, to a minimum of one month less two days to a maximum of two years less one day on one second-degree felony count of theft by deception.
He was given credit for 204 days served and released to immediate parole.
Wiegand was also ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
He pleaded guilty to the above charge on Wednesday, November 6.
As a result of the plea agreement, one second-degree misdemeanor count of false reports was dismissed.
The charges stem from a report of unauthorized access to a bank card.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint filed by Clarion-base State Police, around 5:39 p.m. on March 21, 2019, Trooper Gray, of the Clarion-based State Police, was dispatched to the Clarion-based State Police barracks for a report of an access device fraud.
Trooper Gray made contact with Patrick Wiegand who related that he lost his Green Dot bank card on February 28, 2019, and discovered fraudulent transactions occurred on his card from that date through March 4. Wiegand related that 18 transactions occurred that he did not authorize; he said he needed a police incident number to turn in to Green Dot Bank to get reimbursement.
On March 22, Troopers Gray and Wilson investigated four transactions that occurred at the Walmart store in Monroe Township: one on February 28, and three on March 1, all totaling $2,216.47.
The complaint notes that Walmart security was able to pull surveillance video and photos that show
Wiegand using the card for all of the transactions.
Trooper Gray then investigated one transaction that occurred at Frank’s Pizza and Chicken on Rochester Road in Pittsburgh in the amount of $38.50. The two internal receipts contained the purchaser’s first name, the date of the transaction, a phone number of the purchaser, and the last four digits of the credit card used. The complaint notes that the first name matched Wiegand’s name, the phone number matched the number Wiegand gave Trooper Gray, and the last four digits of the card match the card Wiegand reported.
Finally, Trooper Gray investigated two transactions that occurred on March 1 at a gas station located along Route 68 in Clarion.
According to the complaint, on April 8, the company sent Trooper Gray a DC containing surveillance footage of Wiegand’s transactions, which shows Wiegand using the credit card himself at the location.
Wiegand was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill at 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30.
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