Unity man convicted in bad check scheme to pay for stepdaughter's wedding

A Unity man was convicted of forging checks written out on bogus bank accounts to pay for his stepdaughter’s 2020 wedding.

Joseph A. Malago, 51, was found guilty Friday on 18 of 19 counts in four separate cases including a series of felony weapons offenses for illegal possession of firearms. He was found not guilty of one theft charge.

Following four days of testimony, a Westmoreland County jury deliberated more than three hours Friday and returned convictions on multiple counts of theft, forgery and bad checks in connection services provided by three vendors at a September 2020 wedding at Hempfield Park, the purchase of items at a Latrobe area grocery store and for cashing a bogus check at a credit union. Police claimed Malago attempted to make payments of about $20,000 with bogus checks.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger revoked Malago’s bond and ordered he remain in jail as he awaits sentencing. The judge said Malago was at risk of fleeing the jurisdiction following his conviction. He had been free on bail prior to trial.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker said Malago faces at least five years in prison for each of the nine convictions to gun charges.

She argued Malago, who faces additional theft and fraud charges based on allegations he wrote a $66,000 bad check last year to purchase a recreational vehicle used to flee the jurisdiction with his wife. Malago, police said, was arrested in October 2022 in Georgia.

“We believe he attempted to get to Mexico to flee,” Ranker said.

Prosecutors contend Malago forged a series of checks he created on a home computer with fake account numbers. The checks, according to police, listed fictitious business that corresponded to a Blairsville address that in reality was located at a vacant property in Greensburg.

Malago has multiple prior convictions including some in other states, Ranker said.

Prosecutors contended at trial those prior convictions prohibited him from owning and possessing firearms. Police said at least nine guns were found at the Malago home when investigators searched it after receiving complaints about an alleged check kiting scheme.

Malago maintained his innocence at trial. His wife, the lone witness to testify for the defense, claimed she was the person who wrote out some of the checks that were used to pay for the wedding services that included a caterer, florist and to rent tents and other supplies for the event. She denied claims made by prosecutors that she cooperated with police who investigated the initial allegations leveled at her husband by vendors who claimed he paid them with checks that bounced.

Lettisha Joles Malago testified police witnesses lied to jurors about her cooperation during the investigation.

She said Malago hired an unknown accountant who delivered to their home signed checks she and her husband used at the wedding.

“It was an older man with silver hair. I don’t know his name,” Joles Malago testified.