Prosecutors: 41 workers at Elwyn stole $920K in overtime

Forty-one workers at Elwyn, a nonprofit that provides care for people with disabilities, stole more than $920,000 over 21 months by falsely claiming on time cards that they had worked overtime, authorities said Wednesday.

Four supervisors and 37 other employees were charged with theft and related crimes after an extended investigation uncovered the missing money and misrepresented time cards, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office said. The supervisors — Tyloneous Wilson, 40; Karriemah Williams, 34; Lakiea Gay, 36; and Terrance Chatman, 28 — no longer work at the facility.

Authorities say the four altered employees’ time sheets to indicate they had worked longer than they did, and in exchange sought favors or a cut of the overtime pay.

In May 2017, officials at Elwyn contacted the Pennsylvania State Police about suspected fraud after the organization’s accountants noticed discrepancies between time cards and pay stubs, said State Police Lt. James Hennigan.

“This was a long, painstaking investigation,” he said, adding that those charged committed varying levels of fraud. Twenty-four former employees were arrested Wednesday, authorities said, and more are expected to surrender this week.

As a result of the scheme, supervisors took home an additional $300 to $500 per pay period, said Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland, noting that the money added up to a significant amount at the end of almost two years.

“They stood for unmitigated greed,” she said.

Arrested were: Andre Butler, Terrance Chapin, Earl Dixon, Alisha Lewis, and Sharif Deen-Sesay, all of Philadelphia; Yolanda Daniels, Janice Davis, Kenya Caldwell, Natisha Knox, Niya McCommons, and Tamira Robinson, all of Chester; Adella Giko, Jallah Buku, Brent Newman, Willam Nyenapo, and Rosheda Henson, all of Darby Borough; Ebony Barrett and Phylicia Long of Brookhaven; and Abija Moore-Proctor of Marcus Hook.