Police successfully apprehended former editor and publisher Jeffrey Bohen, 46, during the evening of February 24 on suspicion of forgery and theft.
State Representative Frank Farry, who advertised with LevittownNow.com during the latest campaign season and dealt with Bohen for business transactions, noted unauthorized transactions on his campaign bank statements in late January via analysis by internal controls. The charges were reported to Middletown Township police and an investigation was launched.
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According to police investigation, deposits made to Street Lamp Media Group and later to Jeff Bohen or “JeffMan0930” were solely accessed by Bohen through use of his Square mobile device, a service that allows patrons to turn their mobile device into a credit card processing unit. “JeffMan0930” was a division of Bohen’s email address, which he later used to relinquish his end of the partnership with current Editor and Publisher Tom Sofield. Sofield has assisted police in providing receipts of the two authorized charges, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A search warrant was later issued for Bohen’s Square device. Through investigation of the device by police, Bohen has been accused of making nine attempted transactions and 19 completed transactions to Farry’s account, unlawfully taking $2,450. Bohen’s attempted transactions from the account total $1,080, as noted in court documents. Police were able to uncover Bohen’s correct address, date of birth, phone number and social security number from the Square account. According to Farry’s statement to police, the signature used on November 12 , the first unauthorized charge, was not his own.
Two of the unauthorized charges were through the business and the rest were processed through Bohen’s personal account, according to police.
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“As owner and operator of LevittownNow.com, I was dismayed to learn of the allegations against a former employee. We have since hired a Business Development and Advertising Manager with years of experience. Going forward, we have instituted new safeguards to make sure this never happens again,” said Sofield. “As a result of our recent audit, we believe no other customer data has been compromised. In addition, no user data was impacted.”
Bohen’s employment with LevittownNow.com ended on December 22, 2014, with final paperwork being completed on January 20.
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“Obviously the perpetrator was able to get access to our debit card from a legitimate transaction and he came to our attention through internal controls. It ultimately led to appropriate charges and I’m confident that the court system will address the issue,” Farry told LevittownNow.com. “Campaign funds will be treated with the utmost respect for our supporters and we will continue to abide by state laws.”
Bohen has been charged with five felonies including forgery, unauthorized access to a device, theft by deception, criminal attempt and receiving stolen property. He remains in the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $100,000 bail.
Bohen awaits a preliminary hearing with Judge Daniel Baranoski scheduled for March 11.
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Editor’s Note: In an effort to remain transparent, the following article discusses charges currently held against a former employee of LevittownNow.com. Jeff Bohen separated from the company on December 22, 2014.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
