Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Kristi A. Branca, of Lower Providence, stole from her Upper Gwynedd Township employer between November 2023 and January 2025
A convicted embezzler from Lower Providence Township pleaded guilty to felony theft by unlawful taking for stealing more than $59,000 in funds while working as a bookkeeper for an Upper Gwynedd Township business and was sentenced to county jail.
Kristi A Branca, 45, of the 3000 block of Cardin Place, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court Friday to six to 23 months in jail, followed by two years of probation, for stealing money from Melrose Enterprises Ltd. at 130 Dickerson Road to pay for her deceased father’s funeral expenses, mortgage and car payments, and personal bills, among other items. The Montgomery County grandmother will receive credit for 129 days served, according to court records
On March 25, 2025, police were contacted by Melrose Enterprises Ltd. to report a theft by a previous employee, according to an affidavit, identified as Branca.
Branca was employed as a bookkeeper from November 2023 to January 2025 and had access to company finances, including a Univest business account and a First National Bank Visa card, police said. The only other person to have access to these financial accounts was the business owner.
Following an accounting review of the company’s finances, numerous abnormalities were discovered, which police allege were committed by Branca. Upon being told she was being fired, Branca admitted to using the company accounts to pay for personal items and debts and planned to repay everything.
Branca made $41,723.69 in unauthorized purchases on a Visa card from March 2024 to February 2025, including charges for gaming applications, Amazon, TikTok, Victoria’s Secret, and car payments. She also used the card to pay for her monthly cell phone bill, home internet, and home water bills.
Investigators eventually found more unauthorized purchases committed by Branca, including the use of the company Univest business checking account to pay her mortgage company Penny Mac six times, totaling $13,635, according to the affidavit.
Then, she used the same account to pay a Santander Bank loan on three occasions, totaling $3,769.63, police said.
When confronted by the president of the company with the thefts, Branca admitted to stealing $8,000, and when she was afforded the opportunity to repay, she failed to do so, police said.
The additional theft of funds was later discovered after an accounting firm was hired to investigate the loss, police said.
Police said the December 2024 bank statement contained the most unauthorized charges: Branca paid a funeral home $2,486, which was an outstanding balance for her late father’s funeral service in 2022.
Furthermore, Branca paid $513.75 to the Pennsylvania courts system for outstanding fines and costs, related to $130,000 in restitution from a previous criminal case in which she embezzled money from her employer dating back to 2020. Branca was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property, and was sentenced to pay the restitution, police said in the complaint.
Additionally, Branca was charged in 2023 with theft in a separate incident, related to alleged embezzlement from her employer, but the money was repaid and charges were withdrawn, investigators said.
A felony receiving stolen property charge was dismissed. She was represented by attorney Thomas Egan III.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
