SNOW HILL — In an apparent case of the apple not falling far from the tree, a Salisbury woman, who previously worked for a Berlin property manager convicted last year of theft and theft scheme, was charged this week with the same crimes for allegedly bilking a local golf course out of thousands of dollars.
In October, a Maryland State Police trooper investigated an initial theft report filed by Ed Colbert, owner and president of the Deer Run Golf Club in Berlin. The investigation focused on the golf club’s bookkeeper, identified as Amanda Carol Lubiniecki, 27, of Salisbury. According to charging documents, Lubiniecki was the point of contact for Deer Run for Scott and Associates, a Berlin accounting and property management firm which handed the golf course’s accounting.
Scott and Associates President William Scott last year was convicted on multiple counts of theft and theft scheme after bilking several resort area condominium associations out of over $800,000 from various operating and reserve accounts. Scott was ultimately found guilty on six counts and was sentenced to a combined 55 years in jail, all but 10 of which then suspended.
When Scott’s company was dissolved in the wake of his theft scheme convictions, Deer Run hired Lubiniecki to continue the golf course’s accounting. After Colbert noticed irregularities in the golf course’s books, an investigation was triggered and ultimately pointed to Lubiniecki as the suspect. The investigation revealed a total of 74 checks totaling $45,182 had been issued to Lubiniecki from the Deer Run operations account from July 2009 to October 2011.
The amounts of the checks varied from as low as $250 to as high as $1,000. According to charging documents, the checks were either printed with Colbert’s name using the company’s accounting software, or stamped with his signature, or were blank checks he had signed.
During a subsequent interview with Maryland State Police investigators, Lubiniecki admitted issuing all of the checks to herself and then endorsing them for payment. According to charging documents, Lubiniecki told investigators she was sorry for her conduct and wanted to make restitution to the course. Lubiniecki also explained to investigators the stolen money was spent on shopping and paying monthly bills.
Based on the investigation and the suspect’s own admission, Lubiniecki was formally charged this week with theft over $500 and theft scheme from $10,000 to under $100,000.