Employee charged in purloining $150,000

3/19/2004

Toledo police filed charges this week against a Sylvania Township man accusing him of taking more than $150,000 from his former employer during a nearly seven-year period.

Authorities said the man used the money to put his children through school and to do some traveling.

Thomas Dembowski, 60, of 3230 Centennial Rd., Lot 111, was charged with third-degree felony theft Wednesday in Toledo Municipal Court. He was not in custody last night.

Detectives said he took more than $150,000 from the Harold M. Lincoln Co., 2130 Madison Ave., between October, 1996, and last April and used the money primarily to put his children through high school and college. Mr. Dembowski worked for the company from September, 1993, until last April, Sgt. Chris Delaney said.

He said Mr. Dembowski wrote checks to a phony company, then cashed the checks himself. The company's controller was switching software and noticed signatures on checks that were not his, the sergeant said.

The company looked into the matter and contacted police in January. The suspect admitted to police he took the money, which has not been repaid. The company let Mr. Dembowski go last April because of budget cutbacks.

David Dumont, a company spokesman, declined comment yesterday. Mr. Dembowski could not be reached for comment.