Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
D.A.: They swiped $53K from Marine Corps League
Ex-commandant, paymaster face theft charges
UPLAND >> Two former officers of the Marine Corps League of Delaware County Detachment #228 have been charged with embezzling more than $53,000 from the nonprofit organization.
Former Commandant Alan Staniskis and former chapter Paymaster Kera Kiss each face charges of
theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
Staniskis, 48, of Swarthmore, allegedly caused the organization’s accounts to issue him several payments while Kiss, 39, of Mullica Hill, N.J., allegedly altered the organization’s books and ledgers to cover up the thefts.
The pair was arrested Thursday, according to a release from District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. They have been preliminarily arraigned and released on unsecured bail of $25,000 apiece, and are due for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Thomas J. Lacey Feb. 20, according to online court records.
A message left at the league’s listed phone number Friday was not returned. Defense attorney Michael Malloy has entered his appearance on behalf of both defendants, but declined comment Friday.
“I am appalled by the allegations that came to light after an internal audit of the Marine Corps League’s finances revealed serious irregularities,” said Stollsteimer in the release. “The Marine Corps League is an
important, historic institution that serves our local Marine Corps veterans, and supports a wide range of community activities, including scholarship programs, patriotic events, and the well-known Toys for Tots holiday gift drive.”
County Detective Steven Cortese was contacted by Upland Detective Corporal Andrew Nicoll about a theft case at the league in October 2019, according to affidavits of probable cause for both defendants.
The affidavits indicate the league noticed missing funds during an internal audit completed in September and determined approximately $37,000 was missing. The audit had
searched records between April 2018 and March of 2019, according to the affidavits.
Investigators reviewed the league’s financial records at Wells Fargo Bank and discovered Staniskis had made $53,183 worth of improper withdrawals by check or by cash, according to the affidavits. League members told detectives that no one was permitted to make cash withdrawals from those accounts.
The investigation also
uncovered four suspicious checks written to Staniskis from the league. Though the checks had been endorsed by proper league members, they had been blank when they were signed and Staniskis later wrote out the amounts to himself, according to the affidavit.
Further investigation revealed Staniskis also transferred $1,400 from a league account to a mortgage account in his name in May 2019, according to the affidavit. Staniskis’ personal
bank account additionally showed deposits made around the same time of the withdrawals from the league accounts, totaling $15,338.
In an attempt to cover up the missing money, Kiss allegedly entered fraudulent balances in the ledger that would make other league members believe the accounts were sound. The fund balance entered by Kiss showed a higher amount than was actually in the account, according to the affidavits.