Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Pennsylvania Restaurant Manager Charged With Stealing Over $160,000; Made “Unauthorized ATM Withdrawals, Credit Card Purchases”

“…a certified public accountant’s review found that (he) made a string of unauthorized ATM withdrawals, unauthorized credit card purchases and unauthorized check card purchases totaling $163,601 from the employee theftbusiness accounts of Cosmopolitan…in addition to dinner cruises and visits to a strip club, (he) allegedly spent the money on household items at a retail store…”

A former general manager of Cosmopolitan in Allentown allegedly stole $163,601 from the restaurant and spent it on things like dinner cruises and visits to a strip club.

Cosmopolitan opened in October 2010. Fortunato was hired in September 2010 and promoted to general manager about a month later, District Attorney Jim Martin’s office said today in announcing the charges.

Fortunato’s responsibilities included overseeing the daily operations of the restaurant, handling employee payroll, paying bills to suppliers and collecting receipts for the business.

Fortunato also was given check-signing authority for the restaurant’s various bank accounts and ATM/debit card account at Wells Fargo Bank, a Visa card, an American Express account and access to cash receipts at the restaurant, Martin’s office said.

His responsibilities included using any of the accounts, but only for operations of the restaurant, according to the district attorney’s office.

Last June, Cosmopolitan co-owner Myron Haydt was reviewing the restaurant’s financial records and found a series of suspected unauthorized purchases by Fortunato, according to the statement.

For more: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2013/01/former_manager_of_allentowns_c.html

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