Former South Greensburg secretary ordered to stand trial in new theft case
When investigators met with Dennis Lee Kunkle Sr. last month to discuss the money in his bank account, he was unaware any was missing, county detective Ray Dupilka testified.
The 77-year-old man hadn’t authorized any large withdrawals and he requested to talk about it with his son, Dennis Lee Kunkle Jr., 54, who has power of attorney.
The pair discussed the matter in the basement of their Hempfield home while investigators were there.
“They had a brief conversation about the money,” Dupilka testified Thursday. “(Kunkle Jr.) indicated to his father, ‘Don’t you remember, dad, you told me I could use the funds for my restitution?’”
“He didn’t appear that he had any recollection of that arrangement,” Dupilka said.
Kunkle Jr. was ordered to stand trial on charges of money laundering, theft, receiving stolen property and perjury at the conclusion of his preliminary hearing Thursday. Authorities allege he lied in court about the source of $101,000 in restitution paid to South Greensburg in connection with a theft from the borough while he was secretary there.
Kunkle was arrested two years ago on charges that he diverted more than $155,000 of borough funds for his private use over a five-year period, investigators said. He oversaw finances in the borough of about 2,100 residents for nearly three decades.
He pleaded guilty in that case and paid $101,000 in restitution. He was sentenced Oct. 10 to five years on intensive probation and a year of house arrest.
Kunkle Jr.’s arrest last week on new allegations came after a police investigation into the restitution payment.
A review of bank records showed that Kunkle Jr. wrote 38 checks from his father’ account payable to cash, himself or his wife between January and November, Dupilka testified.
The detective followed three checks written between Sept. 24 and 27 totaling $60,000 from Kunkle Sr.’s account and deposited into an account Kunkle Jr. shares with his wife, according to testimony. That money was moved into another account and then a cashier’s check was written to the law firm that was representing Kunkle Jr. at the time for his restitution payment.
Judge Rita Hathaway asked Kunkle Jr. at an Oct. 10 hearing: “… have you transferred any of your father’s funds to pay any of this restitution?” Dupilka read from a court transcript.
Kunkle Jr. replied “no.”
Dupilka said other disbursements from Kunkle Sr.’s accounts are under investigation.
Defense attorney John Sweeney asked for a dismissal of the charges.
“They haven’t proven that Mr. Kunkle made the transfer,” Sweeney argued.
Assistant District Attorney Jim Lazar argued “substantial evidence” exists to show Kunkle Jr. was behind moving the funds.
“The transfer of the money between multiple accounts is obviously an attempt to disguise the nature or the source of the proceeds used,” Lazar said.
A formal arraignment is set for Feb. 19. Kunkle Jr. is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $100,000 in the new case. He is being detained indefinitely on the previous theft chase.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.
