Courts.
A Lansdale man has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $280,000 from his former employer in Hilltown Township.
Court records show Lorne Leyes, 36, pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft by unlawful taking on May 23. In exchange for his guilty plea, additional charges of receiving stolen property, theft by deception, and access device fraud were dropped, according to court filings.
Investigators were contacted by the owner of Glacier Industrial Refrigeration in June 2023, who stated that he had discovered a former employee, identified as Leyes, had been stealing from his company for six years. The owner provided police with copies of withdrawal slips from the company’s bank account detailing hundreds of unauthorized withdrawals made by Leyes between April 2017 and June 2023, according to charging documents.
Police said Leyes’ employment with the company ended in November 2020, however the withdrawals continued for another two and a half years. In total, Leyes is accused of stealing $283,687 over the six-year period, with $196,775 allegedly being withdrawn via 157 transactions after his employment ended.
Felony charges of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and access device fraud were filed against Leyes on Tuesday morning, and he was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage, who set bail at $250,000 unsecured.
Leyes remains free on $250,000 unsecured bail while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for July 23 at 9:30 a.m. in front of Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Raymond McHugh.
