Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Kristi A. Branca, of Lower Providence, is accused of stealing from her Upper Gwynedd Township employer between November 2023 and January 2025
A convicted embezzler from Lower Providence Township was charged this month by Upper Gwynedd Township detectives with felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property for allegedly stealing more than $59,000 in funds while working as a bookkeeper for a Detwiler Road business.
Authorities allege Kristi A Branca, 45, of the 3000 block of Cardin Place, stole money from Melrose Enterprises Ltd. at 130 Dickerson Road to pay for her deceased father’s funeral expenses, mortgage and car payments, and personal bills, among other items.
On March 25, police were contacted by Melrose Enterprises Ltd. to report a theft by a previous employee, according to an affidavit, identified as Branca.
Branca was employed as a bookkeeper from November 2023 to January 2025 and had access to company finances, including a Univest business account and a First National Bank Visa card, police said. The only other person to have access to these financial accounts was the business owner, per the complaint.
Following an accounting review of the company’s finances, numerous abnormalities were discovered, which police allege were committed by Branca. Upon being told she was being fired, Branca allegedly admitted to using the company accounts to pay for personal items and debts and planned to repay everything.
Investigators allege Branca made $41,723.69 in unauthorized purchases on a Visa card from March 2024 to February 2025, including charges for gaming applications, Amazon, TikTok, Victoria’s Secret, and car payments. She also allegedly used the card to pay for her monthly cell phone bill, home internet, and home water bills.
Police said the December 2024 bank statement contained the most unauthorized charges: Branca allegedly paid a funeral home $2,486, which was an outstanding balance for her late father’s funeral service in 2022.
Furthermore, Branca allegedly paid $513.75 to the Pennsylvania courts system for outstanding fines and costs, related to $130,000 in restitution from a previous criminal case in which she embezzled money from her employer dating back to 2020.
Branca was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property, and was sentenced to pay the restitution, police said in the complaint. She is currently on phone-in monitoring probation, police said.
Additionally, Branca was charged in 2023 with theft in a separate incident, related to alleged embezzlement from her employer, but the money was repaid and charges were withdrawn, investigators said.
Investigators eventually found more unauthorized purchases allegedly committed by Branca, including the use of the company Univest business checking account to pay her mortgage company Penny Mac six times, totaling $13,635, according to the affidavit.
Then, she allegedly used the same account to pay a Santander Bank loan on three occasions, totaling $3,769.63, police said.
When confronted by the president of the company with the alleged thefts, Branca admitted to stealing $8,000, and when she was afforded the opportunity to repay, she failed to do so, police said.
The additional theft of funds was later discovered after an accounting firm was hired to investigate the loss, police said.
Investigators issued a warrant for Branca’s arrest April 8, according to the affidavit. She is at Montgomery County jail on $77 cash bail, which includes a probation/parole detainer.
Both charges were waived to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court at an April 9 preliminary hearing and Branca will be arraigned in county court on the charges May 21, per court records.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
