HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced charges against a former supervisor for Hamlin Ambulance Company accused of reporting and receiving pay for hours she and her daughter did not actually work.
Nicole Price, of Wayne County, was an EMS supervisor and a captain for the ambulance company, and was the only person responsible for reporting hours to a third-party payroll company. An investigation revealed Price intentionally inflated hours worked for herself and her daughter, who was an ambulance driver.
Nearly 1,000 hours — resulting in more than $8,400 in overpay — were reported for Price and her daughter. Price also gave herself and her daughter unauthorized raises and paid herself for vacation time, when the company does not offer paid vacation time.
Pennsylvania State Police charged Price, 50, with felony counts of theft by deception and unlawful use of a computer and misdemeanor tampering with records.
Price has turned herself into authorities and was arraigned on a $25,000 unsecured bail.
“This defendant was in a position of public trust and she abused that power to feed her own greed, causing a significant financial burden to an organization that serves as a community hub and a literal lifeline,” Attorney General Henry said. “This money was supposed to help advance the company’s mission to keep citizens safe. Great investigative work in this case uncovered a calculated pattern of theft that was perpetrated in multiple ways over a period of time.”
An employee reported payroll discrepancies in September 2021, and the company’s board of directors ultimately contacted police. The Price family members were then suspended from Hamlin Fire & Rescue and Ambulance.
An audit revealed the inflated hours, which were reported during 2021. The unauthorized raises resulted in Nicole Price being paid an additional $617 and her daughter being paid an additional $500.
This case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo. All charges are accusations. The defendant is innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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