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subject: The Mercury - Berks man allegedly stole $100K from dentist
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The Mercury - Berk=
s man allegedly stole $100K from dentist
LOWER POTTSGROVE -- Police arrested a Berks Co=
unty man=20
for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from American Dental over =
the 14=20
months he was employed by the firm.
Michael Grover Cowan, 33, of the 800 block of Sum=
mit=20
Chase Drive, West Reading, is facing charges of theft by deception, =
theft=20
by unlawful taking or disposition, forgery, tampering with records o=
r=20
identification, identity theft and related charges.
Court documents indicate Cowan =
was=20
employed by American Dental, which is in the 1800 block of East High=
=20
Street, from May 2005 through July 2006, and that over the course of=
his=20
employment he stole $101,424.18 from the company.
Cowan was h=
ired=20
as the "treatment plan coordinator," where his duties included=20
establishing payment plans and collecting payments for services rend=
ered=20
by patients.
According to court records, Cowan stole $22,668 =
in=20
cash payments, $17,188 in check payments, $12,119.07 from fraudulent=
=20
commissions and $50,449.11 in unauthorized discounts.
Cowan w=
ould=20
steal cash payments outright and convince customers to make checks p=
ayable=20
directly to him, tell them he had a stamp for the payee line and the=
n=20
write it out to himself or just alter checks to reflect payment to=20
himself, court documents indicate.
As part of his job, Cowan=
=20
assisted customers in taking out loans through Wells Fargo and Capit=
ol=20
One, and for his work he received a commission. He received fraudule=
nt=20
commissions after he overfunded 40 loans, according to court documen=
ts.=20
Court documents indicate Cowan forged three patients=92 applications=
=20
entirely, while the other customers whose loans were overfunded sign=
ed for=20
the loans but were misled as to the amounts being disbursed for thei=
r=20
treatment.
American Dental repaid the overfunded loans to Wel=
ls=20
Fargo and Capitol One to protect the credit of the various patients=
=20
involved, court documents indicated.
Additionally, Cowan prov=
ided=20
124 customers with unauthorized discounts or coupons for treatment t=
hat=20
were not authorized by American Dental, and which Cowan provided as =
a way=20
to cover thefts of cash or checks or to give customers an incentive =
to pay=20
in cash, according to court documents,
It was discovered that=
Cowan=20
had stolen money from the company after a customer reported to the=20
business that a $4,000 check she=92d given Cowan to pay for services=
at=20
American Dental had been cashed by Cowan himself.
Cowan=92s=20
employment was terminated, police said.
An internal review of=
=20
payment records and all accounts handled by Cowan was conducted and =
it was=20
discovered that he had committed numerous thefts from the company, c=
ourt=20
documents indicate.
Detective Sgt. Michael A. Foltz, of the L=
ower=20
Pottsgrove Police Department, noted that while the more than $50,000=
Cowan=20
gave in discounts did go directly into his pocket, it was money the=
=20
company lost.
"Those unauthorized discounts and the overfunde=
d=20
loans, although not money in his pocket directly, was still money=20
(American Dental) absorbed," Foltz said.
At his preliminary h=
earing=20
Feb. 20, Cowan waived the charges of theft by failure to make requir=
ed=20
disposition of funds received, theft by deception, theft by unlawful=
=20
taking or disposition, unlawful use of computers, computer trespass,=
=20
forgery, tampering with records or identification, and identity thef=
t.=20