Mar 14, 2019

Police charge owner of Valley psychic business with theft from nonprofit

Francis Scarcella
Daily Item
fscarcelle@dailyitem.com
March 14, 2019

SUNBURY — The owner of a Valley energy healing and psychic readings business faces felony theft charges after Sunbury police say she stole $13,192 from nonprofit organization Parent to Parent.

Jessica Mena, 40, of Old Farm Lane, Milton, was arrested and charged with five felony counts of theft by deception, access fraud, computer theft, forgery and possession and use of unlawful devices. Police say she stole the money through 19 unauthorized transactions.

According to Sunbury Police officer Brad Slack, Parent to Parent officials reported in August that an employee may be involved in possible fraudulent activities. Parent to Parent is a nonprofit resource and support network created by parents for parents.

Parent to Parent officials told Slack that Mena began working for the nonprofit to maintain financial records, police said.

They showed Slack two separate transactions, including a payment of $576.31 to Mena from Parent to Parent through PayPal in May, police said.

Parent to Parent officials said they were unaware of any payments authorized to be made to Mena. Slack said he suspected there would be more transactions so he requested bank records.

Weeks later, he received the records and Slack found 19 unauthorized transactions to Mena with the majority of the money being used for bills, according to court documents.

In June and July, two payments were made to Mena's home payment from the Parent to Parent account, according to the charges. Police said Mena forged the name of another employee on a check made out to Mena.

The total loss to Parent to Parent was $13,192.54, according to Slack.

Slack said he made multiple attempts to speak with Mena but she would only respond by email and when Slack told her he wanted her to come to the police station, Mena asked if she was charged, according to court documents. All communication stopped between Slack and Mena. Tuesday night, Mena was arrested at her home.

Mena appeared before Sunbury District Judge Mike Toomey via video and remains in Northumberland County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.

In 2015, Mena was one of the inaugural Sunbury Revitalization Inc. Biz Pitch Award winners when her business provided a plan on opening a holistic center and academy in the downtown area. The business has since closed. Mena also owns Mena's Healing Center, and the website says she offers energy healing such as Reiki and psychic readings.

https://www.dailyitem.com/news/police-charge-owner-of-valley-psychic-business-with-theft-from/article_35632568-45a4-11e9-b147-fbb460e97646.html

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