Ex-tellers at Swarthmore bank charged in theft

This time, the bank job was on the inside.

Delaware County prosecutors said yesterday that in an "unusual" conspiracy, three former tellers with First Keystone Bank in Swarthmore allegedly embezzled about $124,000 from ATM and cash deposits - including parking-meter money from the borough.

Jean Marie Moronese, 31, of Folcroft; Kelly Barksdale, 27, of Upper Chichester; and Tyneesha Richardson, 29, of Chester, were charged with theft, conspiracy, and related crimes. They were arraigned and released on bail.

The three worked at the bank branch at 330 Dartmouth Ave. - across the street from the police station. Bank officials said the three have not worked at the bank since shortly after the missing funds were discovered.

G. Michael Green, Delaware County district attorney, said it was rare for as many as three employees to be in on a conspiracy.

According to court documents, the scheme came to light last May, when an internal audit revealed more than $100,000 missing from the bank's ATM.

Police said Moronese, who began working at the bank in April 2002 and was promoted to head teller in June 2006, first took $2,000 from the ATM to pay off credit cards in 2008, and falsified records to make it appear the money was still there.

Barksdale started at the bank in March 2007, and Richardson began in January 2007, according to court records.

Moronese said she later became greedy and took money just to spend it, according to court documents. She allegedly paid for her rent, day-care expenses, and lunch for the office staff once or twice a week. Moronese told police she also would take cash and put it in Richardson's teller drawer to make it balance when a shortage occurred.

Moronese then enlisted Barksdale's help in the cover-up, police said.

Before going on vacation in the fall of 2008, Moronese approached Barksdale, told her of the thefts, and begged for her help "because she didn't want her kids to see her go to jail," according to court papers.

Later, after Moronese told Barksdale that she had taken cash and given it to Richardson to pay off a car loan, Barksdale allegedly requested money to pay her rent.

Richardson told investigators she first learned of the thefts when she overheard conversations between the other two.

The three referred to the ATM as "their friend," according to court papers.

Prosecutors said that about $24,000 was also missing from Swarthmore Borough bank deposits. Police brought sealed bags of coins from parking meters to the bank for deposit. Bank records indicate there were cash-out coin receipts generated by the three tellers from the bank's coin-counting machine.

Green said that Barksdale and Richardson began to participate in the crime instead of telling bank officials or police what Moronese was doing.

"So the lesson is you can either be a witness or you can be a defendant," Green said. "These two chose to be defendants."