A man is facing charges for a scheme that cheated trucking companies out of deposits for semi trucks they never received.
31-year-old Matthew R. Weaver of Johnstown, Pennsylvania is facing 45 felony charges after a filing before District Judge Kenneth Johnson in Somerset on Monday, January 9th.
According to The Tribune-Democrat, Weaver, along with a salesman for M&K Truck Centers, contacted companies looking to buy tractor trailers from M&K and instructed them to send a deposit to Weaver’s bank account, the account of another accomplice, or to pay by credit card to an account controlled by the M&K employee.
Using this method, the men collected nearly $100,000 in fake deposits from the potential truck buyers, but never delivered the semi trucks.
M&K began investigating the situation after being contacted by one of the trucking companies that had been a victim in the scam. The unidentified M&K salesman was fired, and returned his company car, laptop, and cellphone. The information on the computer and phone had been erased, but tech staff at the company were able to retrieve text messages and emails from the salesman to the trucking companies victimized by the scam.
Charges against the unnamed employee and the third accomplice were filed on Monday, but as of Monday evening, only Weaver had been served with a warrant. Weaver is facing 45 felony charges including theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, being part of a corrupt organization, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activity and criminal use of a communications device.