Former Granco manager charged for theft

EPHRATA — A former Granco Federal Credit Union branch manager is accused of stealing $56,212 from his bank by adding money to his paycheck and inflating his vacation time.

Prosecutors charged Evan D. Jones, 56, Ephrata, with theft in the first degree, after the man allegedly admitted to embezzling from the company for 10 months.

Ephrata police learned about the crime when they were responding to a report that Jones planned to kill himself, according to court records. When police arrived, they discovered a noose and a suicide note inside the house, and Jones on the lawn.

“Jones stated something to the effect of he was in trouble and we probably already knew the reason,” according to the police report.

When an officer asked Jones why he planned to commit suicide, the former manager allegedly admitted to stealing from the company, and was informed a meeting of the bank’s board of a directors was about him, according to the police report.

Police reportedly found Jones inflated his paycheck by $1,000 to $2,000 a month starting in February 2009 and lasting until December 2009, costing the company $26,500, according to the police report. He also reportedly added $25,226 in vacation time to his paycheck without deducting it from the his accrual and cashed out 120 hours of vacation time he hadn’t earned.

When police questioned why he stole the money, he reportedly answered he was extended on his credit cards, according to court documents.