An arrest warrant has been issued for a Schuylkill County man accused of taking another man’s wallet at a bar and then spent his money at Sheetz and a local motel.
Skyler Panchari, 30, of Pottsville, is charged with three counts of access device fraud, one count of theft by deception, and one count of receiving stolen property.
Police say the victim reported visiting the Chopping Block bar in Pottsville on the evening of Feb. 20. The man told police he believed he left his wallet on the bar counter. When he woke up the next morning, his wallet was missing, and he had phone notifications from his bank regarding multiple transactions, police say.
The missing wallet contained two debit cards, two credit cards, a driver’s license, a health insurance card, and $4 in cash.
According to police, the unauthorized bank transactions included $5.53 and $24.37 spent at Sheetz, and $144.30 spent at the Rodeway Inn in Schuylkill Haven. The fraudulent charges and missing cash totaled $178.20.
Police say the victim provided them with a copy of a Facebook message he received from Panchari at 1:20 a.m. on Feb. 21. The message read, “yo we switched wallets” and “I’m at club 18. I got a good bit of cash in that. LMK”.
When police contacted Panchari by phone on March 3, he said he had the victim’s wallet and had located his own wallet in his vehicle that night. Panchari admitted to spending the $4 in cash and the $174.20 using one of the victim’s cards at the listed locations, according to police.
The victim told police he would not pursue criminal charges if Panchari returned the wallet and the $178.20. Police say they arranged for Panchari and the victim to meet at City Hall on March 4 to complete the exchange. Panchari was told that if he did not show up, he would be charged, police say.
Police say Panchari never showed up for the exchange and did not respond to multiple phone calls. Following the failed meeting, the victim chose to go forward with criminal charges.
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