LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– An Arizona woman allegedly stole more than $350,000 from the Lancaster City Housing Authority meant for a local roofing company.

Patricia Aman, 75, allegedly hacked the email of an employee from the roofing company and was able to switch the banking information in the contract to her own company, Ropats Experts LLC in Peoria, Arizona, according to Lancaster City Police in the criminal complaint.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Nittany Insiders

Lancaster City Housing Authority entered into a contract with a Mifflin County company to have the roof on the Farum Towers replaced. Court documents show that the roofing contractor was paid a total of $353,610 for work.

Police said they spoke with a housing authority employee who reported receiving an email about the MidFirst Bank account information being changed but did not think of it as fraud.

The roofing company contacted the housing authority about not being paid and that’s when officials learned that the new bank account did not belong to the roofing company. Two direct deposit authorizations were obtained by police, and the fake one had a different employee signature.

That employee was interviewed by police and said that her email address was hacked, then it was later learned after the roofing company told police they do not use MidFirst Bank.

Dauphin County school bus driver charged with possessing child pornography, police say

Bank account records showed police that Aman was the one who allegedly switched the account information to Ropats Experts LLC, and she reportedly withdrew $10,000 from the account the same day the $300,000 was deposited.

According to the complaint, police learned that Aman was the subject of a fraud investigation by Peoria police who got a report from MidFirst Bank employees regarding suspicious banking activity. It was reported that $353,610 was deposited in Aman’s account under suspected fraudulent circumstances.

Peoria Police interviewed Aman and went through her phone to discover the payment confirmation from the deposit by Lancaster City Housing Authority, according to Lancaster City Police. Aman admitted to allegedly trying to withdraw the money and send it via Bitcoin to someone she has a contract with and pays her employees.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

abc27 Evening Newsletter

Aman stated that she opened Ropats Experts LLC, a construction company, in October and the money was needed for payroll and payment for a pipeline contract comported in Alaska.

Aman faces numerous felony charges including forgery, theft, unlawful use of a computer, computer trespass, unlawful transfer of email, and criminal use of a communication facility.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.