Murrysville man accused of swindling $18K from Allegheny Township business
A Murrysville man is accused of taking nearly $18,000 from an Allegheny Township business to install signs promoting the business, but never doing the work.
Orbin Swisshelm, 60, took the money from McGuire Family Auto Service, according to a criminal complaint filed by township police.
Police said Swisshelm disbanded his sign company, Gulf Development, last July but he approached the McGuire family Aug. 9 about installing a digital sign with another sign listing the name of the business above it.
Swisshelm made various excuses for the signs not being delivered, the complaint said.
Swisshelm was charged with two counts of theft by deception. After his arraignment Friday, he was released on $50,000 unsecured bond, court records show. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18.
Swisshelm’s attorney, Bernard C. Caputo, wasn’t available for comment.
In a separate case, Forward Township police charged Swisshelm with two counts of deceptive business practices and a count of theft by deception, court records show.
That case is scheduled for a pretrial conference in Allegheny County Court later this month.
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