Parking director charged with theft and fraud

STAFF REPORT

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The Lawrence County district attorney is charging the former New Castle parking authority director with theft.

Gary Stone Jr., 33, of 1005 Loraine Ave. in New Castle, is charged with theft by failure to make required deposition and also with access device fraud on allegations he used a city credit card for personal expenses, said District Attorney John Bongivengo.

He was charged Thursday morning.

Bongivengo said Stone is accused of taking $108,156 in parking meter money during 2006 and 2007. There is a balance of $6,390 on the credit card.

Bongivengo said Stone deposited only $71 in 2006 and $217 in 2007.

In 2008, the city police took over the parking department, Bongivengo said, and police collected $54,390 for the year.

“We knew something was amiss in early January [2008],” said Bongivengo. He added that investigators waited until the end of this year to get a clearer idea of the amount of money that was missing.

City police and state police in New Castle were involved in the investigation along with Bongivengo’s office.

Stone was expected to turn himself in with his attorney, Joshua Lamancusa, Bongivengo said.