A Punxsutawney man is facing theft-by-deception charges after he told Punxsutawney Borough Police that someone used his bank card back in September.
39-year-old Andrew Joseph Sunderlin of Punxsutawney told police – and his bank – that someone took his wallet and used the pin number he kept in it to withdrawal $500 via his ATM card. That withdrawal caused Sunderlin’s account to be overdrawn. According to investigators, Sunderlin filed a police report to take advantage of a bank policy that would not hold him liable for use of a stolen ATM card.
Police used surveillance video to show a man dressed in a hoodie and driving a car like Sunderlin’s made the withdrawal. Police confronted him about the video and he eventually confessed that he took the money out to pay an overdue utility bill to avoid a service shut-off.
Sunderlin faces three charges: Theft By Deception, Receiving Stolen Property, and Unsworn Falsification to Authorities. Police say A certified summons was issued and Court documents show the Punxsutawney police department filed criminal charges in Magisterial Court on Tuesday.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, December 6, in front of Judge Jacqueline Mizerock.
