Police: Man stole cash, checks from van in Scranton

A Scranton man faces charges after police said he stole $9,000 in cash and checks from an independent contractor.

During an interview at Scranton police headquarters May 3, Marvin Luna-Checo, an independent contractor for D’Leiny Snacks Distributors Inc., told Detective Melissa Forsette he discovered a briefcase containing approximately $6,500 in cash and $2,500 in checks was missing from his van after making a delivery to Beer World on North Main Avenue and two other locations May 2, according to a criminal complaint.

Luna-Checo told Forsette he called Beer World to ask if they could check their surveillance cameras and that a manager observed a male walking near the van empty-handed before returning to his vehicle, a gray sedan, carrying a black briefcase, police said.

The manager also showed Forsette the video and stated the male suspect’s first name is Mark, police said.

On May 11, Officer Jill Foley and Forsette obtained a license plate for the gray sedan observed in the parking lot at the time of the theft, per the complaint.

Police discovered the car was registered to a woman at 1501 Hawthorne St. in Scranton. A search of the address revealed several names, but only one with the first name “Mark,” officers said.

A male named Mark Anthony Thomas, whose current address is listed as 1604 Hawthorne St., was found to have been attached to 1501 Hawthorne at one time. A search of Thomas’ name in the Pennsylvania Justice Network provided a photo that closely matched the description and photo of the male observed in the surveillance photo, police said.

When police questioned Thomas about what he did with the $6,000, he told them it wasn’t that much, but closer to $3,000, per the complaint.

Police charged Thomas, 59, with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft from a motor vehicle. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 22 at 11:30 a.m.