Accounting
Ex-HVAC Accountant Admits to Embezzling $1.5 Million in Wilkes-Barre, PA
Lawrence Malachefski was accused of stealing from the HVAC equipment company to support his online gambling habit.
May. 02, 2024
By James Halpin, The Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (TNS)
The former financial controller of a Luzerne County HVAC equipment company pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge for embezzling more than $1.5 million over a three-month period last year to support a gambling habit.
Lawrence Malachefski, no age given, of Wilkes-Barre, PA, was accused of stealing from the undisclosed company to support his online gambling habit on websites including FanDuel, Barstool Sports, DraftKings and Unibet.
He entered his plea to the single count of wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
“The plea was accepted by the court as knowingly, willingly and voluntarily given,” defense attorney Larry Kansky said. “This the first step in my client taking responsibility for his actions.”
Prosecutors said Malachefski was employed as financial controller at the unspecified heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment company based in Wilkes-Barre when the embezzlement took place between March 21, 2023, and June 13, 2023.
Beginning last spring, Malachefski began transferring company funds to his personal PayPal account in increasingly large amounts and concealed the thefts by altering the company accounting ledger, prosecutors said.
Malachefski faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 when he is sentenced at a later date.
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