Mark D. Hall Jr. was formally arraigned Wednesday on charges he defrauded a Pottsville car dealership of nearly $190,000.
Hall appeared before District Magistrate Jimmy Reiley Wednesday afternoon and heard the charges he’s facing read to him. He’s being represented by Pottsville attorney Eric Prock.
Hall is accused of running a refund fraud scam during his employment at Bob Weaver Auto. He allegedly processed phony refunds through the company’s Paypal account and padded his bank account by nearly $190,000 over the course of about 2 years.
For more on how Hall allegedly pulled off this operation, read our full report from last week: Warrant Issued For Employee Of Pottsville Business Accused Of Stealing Nearly $190K
Hall, formerly of St. Clair, had been living in Vandalia, Ohio, for about the last two months, he told Reiley at Wednesday’s arraignment. Prock said his client drove 8 hours to Pottsville to appear for the arraignment.
A fugitive arrest warrant had been granted for police in Ohio to pick up Hall prior to Wednesday’s proceedings.
Reiley set bail at 10% of $10,000 but did so reluctantly. A prior arrangement between Hall and prosecutors was honored by the judge. However, Reiley said had no such arrangement on bail been in place, he would have set it much higher.
One condition on Hall’s bail is that he surrenders approximately 20 firearms that he says are in Ohio, where he’d just begun working for his brother’s contracting firm. Reiley gave Hall until the day of his Preliminary Hearing to turn over his guns to the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office.
Hall posted bail at the end Wednesday’s arraignment.
That Preliminary Hearing – where Hall will answer to the charges against him – is set for July 15 at 11 a.m.
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