After a four-year investigation, state police at Uniontown have charged a former Point Park University professor with identity theft for crimes allegedly committed against family members and a former college student.
According to state police at Uniontown, Jason Douglas Joy, 37, of Mechanicsburg was charged before District Judge Wendy Dennis of North Union March 3 with four counts of identity theft and three counts each of unlawful use of a computer, criminal use of communication facility and access device fraud.
Police allege that Joy used numerous computers to access the Internet to commit the various crimes. He allegedly opened credit accounts in the names of his sister-in-law, Julie Paull of Uniontown, and father-in-law, James Tressler of Hopwood, as well as eBay accounts in the names of Paull and Erin Plavecsky of New Brighton, Beaver County.
He also is accused of using Paull's debit card as payment for selling items on eBay.
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating Joy for eBay fraud, state police said.
Joy was arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Joseph George Jr. of Uniontown and lodged in the Fayette County Prison in lieu of three straight-cash bonds of $20,000 each.
He faces a preliminary hearing March 19 before Dennis.
