SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The former business manager of the Ritz Theater in Scranton allegedly stole over $74,000 from the business.
According to police, James Olecki, 48, made $74,892.47 worth of illegitimate transactions using a debit card assigned to Olecki.
Police say Olecki was employed as a manager (CEO) and had financial access to the business.
A coworker approached Olecki about suspicious Cash App transactions on January 15 on an account that was strictly used for paying the company's mortgage, officers reported.
Tractor-trailer driver charged after hit-and-run on I-80
Police say Olecki stopped showing up to meetings and offered no explanation or supporting documentation for the transactions.
As stated in the affidavit, "there was no evidence that the expenditures from Olecki's debit card and checks were related to any approved or official business purchases."
Olecki's employment was terminated on January 27, and he now faces theft charges.
Olecki's legal team sent out a statement that you can read below.
Olecki-James-Press-Release-03.26.25Download
