North Irwin woman allegedly stole more than $286,000 from company

A North Irwin woman is accused of stealing more than $286,000 from an Upper St. Clair company, according to Allegheny County court documents.

Karen Vechter, 59, was charged with theft, forgery and access to a device used to obtain property or services from The Braff Group, documents show.

Employed at the company for 18 years as an administrative assistant, Vechter was responsible for payroll, banking and payment of bills, including reviewing credit card statements.

Vechter was issued an American Express card and a Citizens Bank debit card, both for business expenses such as making travel arrangements, paying bills and purchasing office supplies. She was not approved to use the card for personal expenses, documents show.

Under review from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Vechter allegedly admitted to spending more than $224,000 for personal expenses on the American Express card and more than $61,000 in personal expenses from the Citizens Bank account.

An investigation by the district attorney showed the American Express card was used for purchases of jewelry, household expenses, at restaurants, QVC purchases, car repairs and rentals, medical supplies and visits and clothes since 2001.

Vechter is accused of telling officials she made payments to The Braff Group for the bill or by depositing money into the company’s bank account until 2010, when she no longer had the funds to pay the bills.

Employees from The Braff Group, who conducted an internal inquiry, said payments on the card stopped in 2003.

Officials found several ATM withdrawals from the Citizens Bank account. The debit card also was used for purchases at restaurants, Walmart, Sephora and Giant Eagle. Vechter is accused of writing a check to herself for over $2,165 for a long-term life insurance policy from MetLife and to pay delinquent school taxes.

Another check for $1,795 was allegedly taken by Vechter from a flexible spending account from the company’s health care program. Money left over in the program is supposed to be split among the four employees who participated in the program, but the full amount was issued to Vechter, documents show.

According to court documents, Vechter admitted to taking the full amount, adding she didn’t think it was fair each person received the same amount. Rather, she wanted back the amount she put into the account.

Suspicions were raised in October 2017, after owner Dexter Braff was contacted by a representative from Citizens Bank, saying Vechter was trying to open a MasterCard using his information, documents say. Officials from the bank had an electronic signature but needed an original signature to finish the application.

Braff said Vechter had discussed opening the account with him but said he never gave her permission to move forward with the application. At that time, Braff informed bank officials he had not filled out the application, alleging Vechter had erased any voicemails from the bank in regard to the application, documents show.

Vechter allegedly admitted to filling out the application but said she did not know how the electronic signature appeared on the form.

Vechter was fired in October.

Her attorney, Terrence Michael Ging, was not available for comment Thursday.

She remains free on her own recognizance. A nonjury trial in Allegheny County Court is scheduled for July 9.