A Leechburg woman who handled payroll and bookkeeping for a Penn Hills refrigeration company is accused of quietly siphoning off nearly $285,000, a hit that could sting any small business. Prosecutors say the alleged scheme hid behind routine paperwork, with altered company checks and personal spending on a corporate card sliding by for more than a year before anyone caught on.
The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office has charged 34-year-old Ashley Apperson with theft by unlawful taking, access device fraud, misapplication of entrusted funds, receiving stolen property, and unlawful use of a computer, according to WPXI. Apperson, a Leechburg resident, started at Ventec Refrigeration in Penn Hills in June 2022 and was in charge of payroll, printing checks, reconciling credit card accounts, and keeping QuickBooks records current. According to WPXI, she was fired on May 11 for performance-related issues, and police were called in after a coworker spotted an incorrect check entry that did not add up.
Company background
Ventec Refrigeration lists its Penn Hills location at 2531 Universal Road and describes itself as a commercial HVAC and refrigeration contractor serving the Pittsburgh region. The company publicly promotes work with restaurants and other commercial clients across Allegheny County and nearby communities, and investigators say that is where Apperson carried out the accounting duties now under scrutiny.
How investigators say the scheme worked
According to the criminal complaint, investigators allege that 88 unauthorized checks were issued to Apperson between Jan. 13, 2025, and May 6, 2026, with most of them altered and deposited into a PNC Bank account tied to Apperson and her husband, as reported by WPXI. Court documents state that Apperson admitted issuing checks to herself and changing payee names to cover her tracks. Prosecutors say company money went toward online gambling, spending at Dave & Buster’s, vacations, restaurants, and a steady flow of Amazon and PayPal purchases.
Investigators also contend that more than $14,000 in personal expenses landed on a company credit card. Police say the alleged check scheme alone ran over $285,000 in total, and that Apperson is scheduled to appear in court on July 6.
Legal next steps
Apperson now faces a slate of felony charges that will move through the Allegheny County court system, potentially toward a trial or plea deal depending on how the case develops. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office handles theft and fraud prosecutions and regularly posts information on similar cases on its public press pages. Under the law, defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and Apperson’s July 6 hearing is expected to serve as the next formal step for arraignment and scheduling.
Protecting small businesses
Fraud specialists say small employers are especially vulnerable when a single person controls several pieces of the money pipeline, from payroll to check cutting to account reconciliation. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners notes that basic internal controls, such as separating key financial duties, reconciling bank accounts quickly, restricting who can print checks and offering an anonymous tip line, can significantly reduce the odds of a long-running scheme, according to the ACFE. For companies that run their books through QuickBooks or similar platforms, periodic outside reviews can help flag unusual entries before losses pile up.
Apperson is due back in court on July 6, and anyone tracking the case can find scheduling and filing details through the Allegheny County court docket. The allegations remain subject to verification in open court as the case continues.
