Man jailed for stealing $65K from employer
NORRISTOWN » Saying it was “a complete abuse of trust” when an East Coventry man embezzled more than $65,000 from his Upper Gwynedd employer to support a sometimes lavish lifestyle, a judge said a stint in jail was warranted.
“It was not an unintentional decision. He was in complete control of finances. This is criminal behavior, you can’t characterize it any other way,” Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill said as he sentenced Charles W. Pavel to six to 23 months in the county jail. “He didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. To this court, it indicates a complete abuse of trust.”
Pavel, 46, of the first block of Wiand Lane, pleaded guilty to
charges of theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud in connection with incidents that occurred between June 2013 and January 2015 while he worked as the financial controller and bookkeeper for Capitol Insurance Company on Welsh Road in the North Wales section of Upper Gwynedd.
The judge also ordered Pavel to complete three years’ probation following parole, meaning Pavel will be under court supervision for about five years. The judge said Pavel is eligible for the jail’s work release program during his incarceration.
Before his sentencing hearing, Pavel did present the court with a check for full restitution in the amount of $65,616, according to testimony.
“I’m very sorry for my actions. I apologize for my actions,” Pavel said before learning his fate from the judge.
Testimony revealed Pavel used company credit cards for his personal gain, including paying for trips to Las Vegas and Miami. During another New Year’s Eve trip to London, Pavel racked up a bill of more than $10,000, according to testimony. On another trip, when Pavel rented a car, he rented a high-end Rolls Royce, “not a Toyota,” alleged Assistant District Attorney Lauren Alessi.
“He took serious advantage of his position as bookkeeper,” said Alessi, who argued for a jail sentence for Pavel. “This was an egregious course of conduct where the defendant took advantage of his position within the company… and used that money to live a lavish lifestyle where he took several trips, including to London and Miami.”
Citing Pavel’s “genuine remorse,” defense lawyer Ben-Zion Datika sought probation or house arrest for Pavel.
“He is extremely remorseful for his actions. He is genuine with his remorse. He has done everything he can to insure this case remains in the past and he does get his life on track,” Datika argued to the judge.
Pavel’s mother testified on his behalf, calling him “a good person.”
An investigation began in March 2015 when lawyers for Capitol Insurance Company notified Upper Gwynedd police about Pavel’s theft. Pavel, according to court papers, had worked as financial controller and bookkeeper for the company since June 5, 2013.
As part of his duties, Pavel was instructed to retrieve all company credit cards from employees, close out the accounts and destroy the cards, according to the criminal complaint filed by Upper Gwynedd Police Officer Robert Pro III. Pavel sent an email on June 12, 2013, to all employees instructing them to relinquish their cards to him.
“After receiving the credit cards, Pavel failed to destroy them or close out the accounts,” Pro alleged in the arrest affidavit.
Police said the investigation revealed that Pavel, as early as June 17, began using several of the credit cards for his personal use without authorization from company officials. Pavel illegally used the cards until about Jan. 3, 2015, according to the criminal complaint.
The theft came to light when the company owner was alerted by the credit card company about suspicious purchases occurring on an account in London, England. An internal fraud investigation then commenced and investigators found 597 fraudulent
purchases occurred on numerous credit cards, according to the criminal complaint.
Company officials met with Pavel at his home in East Coventry on Jan. 5, 2015, to confront him about the fraud and at that time Pavel relinquished custody of three credit cards with which the fraudulent purchases had been made. Pavel “pleaded” with company officials to allow him to pay restitution.
Between January and March 2015, Pavel sent emails to company officials indicating he was attempting to pay back the money. However, the company did not receive the restitution during that time. That’s when company officials contacted police.