Sep 20, 2006 By Josh Krysak 2 min read

State police have charged an Adah couple with bank fraud and theft by deception after they scammed a county credit union out of more than $30,000 in vehicle loans. Russell L. Cramer, 53, of Adah, was charged with two counts each of theft by deception, writing bad checks and defrauding secured creditors and single counts of criminal conspiracy for theft by deception and criminal conspiracy for defrauding a secured creditor before Magisterial District Judge Wendy Dennis following the attempted con.

Additionally Patricia Ann Cramer, 56, of Adah, was charged with theft by deception, criminal conspiracy for theft by deception, defrauding secured creditors and criminal conspiracy for defrauding a secured creditor before Dennis.

According to trooper W.E. Coddington of the state police Vehicle Fraud Investigation Unit, the couple obtained loans from the Fayette County School Employees Credit Union to purchase two vehicles between August and December of last year.

After the vehicles were purchased, the couple then traded the vehicles to two car dealerships and did not pay off the loans on the vehicles, police said.

Coddington said the couple purchased and traded the vehicles with four separate dealers in the region including Phil Giannetti Motors of Brownsville, Superior Automotive Group of Uniontown, Detweiler Motors of Uniontown and Michael’s Auto of Carmichaels.

A preliminary hearing has not been set for the German Township couple.