Matthew Chancler, Wire Fraud, Pennsylvania 2016

Matthew Chancler, 57, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, is staring down federal prison time after being charged with one count of wire fraud for allegedly looting over $350,000 from the Bucks County-based company where he served as Director of Finance. The Certified Public Accountant used his authority to funnel company funds into a two-year personal spending spree, according to a criminal information filed in Philadelphia.

From August 2016 through July 2018, Chancler racked up more than 1,800 unauthorized personal purchases on company-issued credit cards—buying clothing, electronics, jewelry, travel, sporting gear, and luxury items—while disguising the charges in internal records. He also made over 400 ATM cash withdrawals, all drawn from corporate accounts. In total, prosecutors say, the theft amounted to $350,000, a six-figure heist masked as routine business expenses.

But the fraud didn’t stop at credit cards. Chancler allegedly tweaked the company’s payroll system to pad his own paycheck, adding hundreds of dollars each cycle under the false label of “miscellaneous non-taxable income.” Over the same two-year period, those illicit additions totaled approximately $12,500. The scheme flourished under the radar, exploiting trust and access only a senior financial officer could wield.

“What’s most apparent here is the defendant’s alleged greed and willingness to abuse his position of authority,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “Businesses rely on professionals to maintain the financial health of their operations, as well as to abide by the law – not funnel money for their own personal use.”

If convicted, Chancler faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a penalty that underscores the severity of white-collar betrayal at this scale. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Deputy United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen, who is building the government’s case on financial forensics and digital transaction trails.

An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. Matthew Chancler is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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