Former Carmichaels borough manager charged with stealing $75,000
A former Carmichaels borough manager was arraigned Thursday afternoon for allegedly stealing about $75,000 from the borough by writing herself fraudulent checks between 2012 and 2016.
Brandi Lea Wydo-Streit, 42, of Carmichaels is charged with 89 counts each of forgery and theft. She was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Lee Watson, who set her bail at $7,496, or approximately 10 percent of the $74,965.11 she allegedly stole.
State police began investigating the case in October shortly after Streit stopped working for the borough. Cypher & Cypher accountants completed a forensic audit of the borough’s accounts, which concluded in May. The investigation revealed the former manager wrote herself 89 fraudulent checks beginning in 2012. The first check amount was about $619, but payouts slowly increased with several checks cashed for more than $1,100 in 2016, according to court documents.
State police conducted interviews with several borough officials and employees who said Streit admitted to stealing money. One of her roles as manager was to write checks to employees. A second person was required to sign the check, police said.
Trooper William Brown interviewed borough president Michael Dohanich II, who said he often provided a second signature on the paychecks after becoming president in 2016. He said he met with Streit a few days before her last day of work. Dohanich told police she was “talking really fast” and said she wrote herself “a couple of extra paychecks.” He said she thought she stole between $12,000 and $15,000, according to paperwork filed in the case.
Officer Craig Miller, who is the police chief in Cumberland Township and an officer for Carmichaels Borough, told state police Streit told him “she was going to jail and that he would probably have to arrest her,” according to court documents.
Jeffrey Grimes, the borough attorney, told state police during an interview that Streit admitted to him she stole money from the borough.
Officer Michael Gyurke, a police officer with Carmichaels borough and Carmichaels high school, said he was once unable to cash a check because the account was frozen. He did not recall the date during the interview with state police. He said he contacted Streit, who told him she would fix the problem. She later approached him at the borough building and said “I’m going to be honest with you. I stole the money,” state police wrote in the affidavit filed in her case.
Court documents indicate she hired private attorney David Pollock in Waynesburg. She is lodged in Greene County Prison in lieu of bond.