Churchill woman accused of writing 24 bad checks, causing $56,000 loss, DA says
A Churchill woman is facing more than two dozen criminal charges after authorities say she used access to her husband's personal and business bank accounts to write checks to herself.
Ngoc Phuongthi Le, 54, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and 24 counts of issuing bad checks, according to the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.
According to the criminal complaint, Le allegedly wrote checks from her husband's accounts despite insufficient funds to cover them. She then deposited the checks into her personal First Commonwealth Bank account and immediately transferred the money before the transactions could be flagged for insufficient funds, investigators said.
Investigators traced money from Le's First Commonwealth account through wire transfers and Zelle deposits, according to the complaint.
Between Dec. 22, 2025, and Jan. 5, 2026, Le allegedly issued 24 bad checks totaling $82,710 in attempted stolen funds. The transactions resulted in an estimated loss of $56,072.23 to First Commonwealth Bank, authorities said.
"This is something that unfortunately occurs far too often in our county," Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said. "To effectively charge these crimes, we have to first understand the scam. Individuals and businesses should be vigilant and report suspicious transactions as soon as possible."
