HERMITAGE Settlement firm owner faces fraud charges

HERMITAGE, Pa. -- The owner of a real estate settlement firm here has been charged with multiple counts of theft, fraud and falsification in connection with the $540,000 authorities say she embezzled in closing transactions involving her company between May 30 and Aug. 4.
Joan Elaine Ansell, 51, of Folk Road, Fredonia, owner of Ansell Settlement Co., turned herself in Tuesday at District Justice Henry Russo's court after learning of a warrant for her arrest on 59 counts and was arraigned there and released on $5,000 bond.
Ansell is charged with 10 counts each of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and theft by deception; nine counts each of deceptive or fraudulent business practices, tampering with public records or information, unsworn falsification to authorities and securing execution of documents by deception; and three counts of issuing bad checks, police said.
Authorities allege that, on seven occasions, she kept money from a closing and failed to give it to the seller or bounced a check to the seller; on two occasions, she kept money from escrow accounts; and on one occasion, she bounced a check to the Shenango Township tax collector for school taxes from a closing.