An East Vandergrift man is accused of stealing nearly $43,000 from a man who gave him access to his bank and credit card accounts when he went into a nursing home.
John William Ebner, 33, of McKinley Avenue, was charged by Vandergrift police with theft, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and theft by deception — all felonies.
Ebner is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post a $50,000 cash bond.
He faces a preliminary hearing on the charges before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec on Jan. 4.
Investigators said the alleged victim gave Ebner power of attorney on Feb. 15 before he entered the West Haven Manor nursing home in Washington Township as a temporary resident, according to a criminal complaint filed in support of the charges.
Police said Ebner used his ability to access the man’s investments to empty an IRA account at First Commonwealth Bank of $9,582 on April 9, according to the complaint.
Ebner is accused of making a $9, 433 withdrawal from another First Commonwealth IRA account on April 26 followed by a $4,443 withdrawal from that account later the same day, police said.
Police obtained a search warrant for the man’s accounts at Huntingdon National Bank and determined that Ebner used a debit card to withdraw $3,362 in cash from ATMs and to make $973 worth of purchases, the complaint said.
Ebner also is accused of making in-person cash withdrawals totalling $13,520 between April 6 and 29, police said.
Another $1,460 was charged by Ebner using the man’s Discover credit card, police said.
Police said they interviewed Ebner on July 26 and he told them that he was using the money because his girlfriend had left him and that he was “drinking heavily and wanted to buy things to tinker around with,” according to the complaint.
He told police that he was “frivolously spending” to buy things for himself and his daughter and that he had no idea how much of the man’s money he had used.
