LCCC official charged in theft

Times Leader ^ | September 19, 2008 | Sherry Long

[Newsman100]

LCCC official charged in theft

Peter Paul Moses accused in theft of more than $17,000, two computers from school.

By Sherry Long

Times Leader

NANTICOKE – An associate dean at Luzerne County Community College was arrested Thursday and charged with the theft of more than $17,000 and two computers from the school. Officials said Peter Paul Moses, 57, the college’s associate dean of administration and auxiliary services, stole $17,524 in cash and two Dell laptops valued at $1,598 between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2007. He is charged with three counts of theft by unlawful taking, two counts of receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.

Moses, of Terrace Street in Wilkes-Barre, was in charge of the college’s Educational Conference Center, cafeteria and food services, and security and maintenance departments. He is still earning his salary of $73,022 a year because the college has put him on paid administrative leave beginning Feb. 4, pending a report from the Luzerne County District Attorney’s office, according to college officials. Moses was hired in November 1991.

Under the college’s employment policy, Moses could be terminated once the report is received. The policy states, “we can take disciplinary action up to and including termination for an act such as theft or other offense.”

A calendar used to track deposits from the cafeteria helped lead investigators to Moses, according to investigators.

After several cash deposits from the cafeteria were not received by the business office, cafeteria manager Sheldon Owens began maintaining a calendar in September 2005 detailing who transported the daily deposits, according to arrest papers.

Owens told investigators Moses often entered the cafeteria at about 2 p.m. daily to pick up the deposits. Sometimes the business office would call to report they never received the money. When Owens questioned Moses about the deposits, Moses always had a convenient answer saying, “I left it in my car” or “I left it in my office,” according to arrest papers.

“The deposits were never retrieved from his car. They were never found. Each day Peter Moses took the deposits, the money went missing,” District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll said.

On another occasion, Moses entered the cafeteria manager’s office one day in December 2007 and directed the assistant manager to check on things in the cafeteria, according to arrest paperwork. A cafeteria employee was instructed to keep an eye on Moses and witnessed him looking into the unlocked safe where that day’s deposits were stored, the affidavit stated. When the cafeteria assistant manager returned to the office more than $1,200 was missing, according to arrest papers.

Moses was left a message asking if he took the deposit. He later returned to the cafeteria and tried to help find the money.

Almost the exact amount of the missing funds from December was submitted to the college’s finance office on Feb. 21. The money was submitted from Moses, the paperwork said.

Musto Carroll said she doesn’t know why the cash was taken.

When Owens was questioned in 2006 during the college’s internal investigation regarding the missing funds, he informed the college’s Director of Accounts and Finance Bob Linskey that a computer recorded a backup of all the cash register sales. When Linskey attempted to retrieve the data, he discovered that computer was missing, the affidavit stated. Moses and other college employees had access to that computer.

The computer is still missing, Musto Carroll said.

LCCC President Tom Leary expressed outrage and dismay that money and college property were stolen. Implementation of new accounting measures and security precautions are now used to ensure money can’t be stolen again, he said.

To monitor daily cash flow, the college now runs daily and weekly balance sheets, and security personnel now transport or escort cafeteria employees to the finance office, where all the money is picked up by an armed security service, college officials said.

The college began an internal investigation in 2006. The Nanticoke Police Department was called in to investigate the missing funds in February.

“People in Luzerne County are sick and tired of seeing crime happen,” Musto Carroll said during a press conference Thursday afternoon at the courthouse. “White-collar crime is not going to be tolerated.”

Musto Carroll expressed frustration that the college didn’t notify police earlier. If police were contacted earlier, they might have been able to obtain the computer used to back up the cafeteria’s sales, she said.

Moses also ordered three laptops using college funds in January 2007 for the college’s Educational Conference Center, the affidavit states. Moses directed one of his employees to deliver one of the laptops to him in May 2007, so Moses could use it to work from home. Moses asked the same employee in June 2007 to deliver another computer to him. The arrest paperwork states Moses admitted to having both computers in his possession. These computers have not been returned, Musto Carroll said.

Moses is from a prominent Wyoming Valley family. His brother, George, is a doctor. Another brother, John, and nephew Peter are attorneys.

Musto Carroll said Moses would not be treated any differently than any other suspect, despite his family’s political connections.

“Justice is blind. So everyone is going to be treated the same no matter who they are,” she said.

Moses’ attorney and long-time personal friend Bill Ruzzo defended Moses, saying his reputation is one of honest and trustworthiness.

“Peter Moses and I are so close, I would trust him for anything, and I have. When I’ve been in tight spots, he’s loaned me money. I’ve done the same for him,” Ruzzo said.

He was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke and released on $20,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing was set for 10 a.m. Sept. 25 in Central Court.

[blam]

Peter Paul Moses