Man admits stealing $240,000 from work
NORRISTOWN >> A Pottstown man admitted to stealing more than $240,000 from the Lansdale business where he once worked, using the money, detectives alleged, to pay for personal expenses including “vacations to Disney World.”
Pedro C. Arcay Jr., 49, of the 400 block of Spring Street, Pottstown, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking or disposition in connection with thefts that occurred while he worked for NetCarrier of Lansdale. The open guilty plea means Arcay has no deals with prosecutors regarding his punishment.
Judge Todd D. Eisenberg deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Arcay. Arcay remains free on bail pending a
sentencing hearing later this year.
Arcay, who worked for NetCarrier as the accounts payable manager for 13 years until he was terminated for the embezzlement, faces a possible maximum sentence of 5-to-10-years in prison on the charge. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
An investigation began on Oct. 1, 2018, when Lansdale police responded to NetCarrier, located in the 1000 block of North Cannon Avenue, for a report of embezzlement by an employee. The investigation determined Arcay used the company credit card to make numerous unauthorized purchases, totaling $240,928, between 2011 and 2018, according to the criminal complaint.
“Subsequent investigation revealed that Arcay, in an effort to hide the fraudulent credit card charges, made copies of the original bank statements, cut out the names of actual payable businesses and then glued them on top of the business names he charged for personal purchases,” Lansdale Detective Joseph Gary alleged in the arrest affidavit, explaining the theft scheme.
When detectives interviewed Arcay, he admitted to altering the bank statements and to using NetCarrier’s credit card to pay personal bills and other personal expenditures without authorization.
“Arcay stated he did it because he was in financial troubles,” Gary alleged. “Based on the results of the investigation, Pedro Arcay used NetCarrier’s credit card to pay personal bills, pay off personal loans, various other personal expenditures and even family vacations to Disney World.”
Other charges of receiving stolen property, tampering with records and access device fraud are slated to be dismissed against Arcay at time of sentencing in exchange for his guilty plea to the felony theft charge.