Former county analyst sentenced on forgery charges
A former Fayette County fiscal analyst was sentenced Wednesday to 23 months of intermediate punishment after pleading guilty to forging almost $9,000 in checks while bookkeeping for two area businesses. Fayette County Judge John F. Wagner sentenced Bruce John Beard, 44, formerly of Uniontown, to 3 months of house arrest, followed by 20 months of intermediate punishment, which is to run concurrent with a 14-year probation term Beard is serving for stealing more than $83,000 from an Allegheny County ophthalmologist.
Beard, who was charged in 2002 with forgery and theft by deception for writing $6,000 in checks to himself from New York Pizza in South Union Township and a $2,500 check from the North Union Volunteer Fire Department, said he committed the thefts to support a drug and alcohol habit.
He resigned his post as an analyst for the county just prior to the filing of charges by state police in 2002.
Beard, who now resides in Beaver County, was initially admitted to the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) program but was expelled from the program two weeks prior to completion because he failed to make a restitution payment.
According to court records, Beard balanced the books at the restaurant each month and he forged the signature of owner John Schiano on 14 checks.
Those checks were cashed between June 21 and Aug. 2, 2002, according to the complaint filed by police.
Beard also was charged with forging the signatures of two volunteer fire department officials on a $2,500 check in 2002 while working to balance the department’s accounts.
Wagner also ordered Beard to repay more than $8,900 to three area banks.