Trafford man accused of bilking credit union out of $73,000
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A Trafford man is accused of bilking a South Greensburg credit union out of more than $73,000 over a six-month period beginning in October, through a complex scheme.
According to a criminal complaint filed by South Greensburg Sgt. James Garlick, Joseph D. Calisti, 38, defrauded the Pheple Federal Credit Union on Theobold Avenue by using a Visa card with a $2,500 credit limit from Oct. 19 to March 13 to make purchases and transfer money totaling close to $73,800.
He did so by withdrawing money from a bank account, depositing it into a credit union account to pay a bill, then subsequently removing it, thus draining the account, police said.
Police alleged that Calisti made 59 payments totaling close to $900,000 on the credit card account during that six-month period — all of which were returned for insufficient funds, according to the affidavit. He also is accused of using the Visa card for ATM cash advances, making Venmo payments and paying for goods and services totaling more than $66,000.
The affidavit against Calisti alleges he initiated the scheme Oct. 19 by paying $2,502 from his Huntingdon National Bank account to cover a debt on a credit card issued by Pheple credit union, then three days later withdrawing $2,500 through a cash advance from the same credit card.
On Oct. 26, the payment made by Calisti was reversed for insufficient funds in the bank account, according to police.
Police allege Calisti was seen in a video at an S&T Bank ATM in Monroeville getting five cash advances Jan. 20 and then again Jan. 25.
South Greensburg Police Chief Bryan Painter said a bank official notified police of the alleged theft.
Matthew Senkow, vice president of finance for Pheple, told police that the accounting system the credit union was using did not catch the scheme, the compliant said. The Visa account’s billing period ended the 18th of the month, but the payments made it seem as if the account was in good standing, according to the affidavit. The discrepancy was not noticed until March, police said.
Senkow could not be reached for comment.
Calisti was charged May 25 with theft by deception and access device fraud. He was arraigned before Jeannette District Judge Joseph DeMarchis and released on $25,000 unsecured bond, pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 29. Calisti’s attorney, David J. Eckle of Monroeville, could not be reached for comment.
“It was pretty convoluted,” Painter said of the scheme.