Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

Employee charged in theft from Bon-Ton Foundation
BY TIM MEKEEL, Business Editor

A former employee of The Bon-Ton Foundation has been accused of stealing $1.3 million from the York-based charity.

Christine S. DeJuliis, 51, of Felton, York County, was indicted Wednesday on five counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.

DeJuliis was fired in July 2009 after her alleged six-year scheme was discovered by the company.

According to the indictment, DeJuliis was hired in 1999. She worked in an administrative capacity for the head of the foundation.

To steal the money, she first allegedly created fictitious businesses, complete with bank accounts.

Then she had the foundation appear to award grants to the bogus businesses, which put the funds in their bank accounts.

Finally, DeJuliis withdrew the money from those accounts and put it into her personal accounts.

In announcing the indictment, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Harrisburg noted that the foundation and its parent, The Bon-Ton Stores, provided information to authorities that started the probe.

The indictment did not disclose what DeJuliis allegedly did with the money or how the alleged scam came to light.

tmekeel@lnpnews.com