Erie woman charged in thefts from parking authority

This article was originally published on GoErie by Tim Hahn on January 18, 2017.

A former Erie Parking Authority employee is facing criminal charges on allegations she stole more than $6,000 in parking revenue while working at a downtown ramp in 2016.

Vanessa M. Zearfoss, 42, of Erie, faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 1 on third-degree felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. She is free on $25,000 unsecured bond following her Jan. 11 arraignment.

Erie police charge that Zearfoss stole $6,417 in cash that she collected while working special events for the Parking Authority at the parking ramp at East Eighth and French streets, near Erie Insurance Arena. The thefts occurred between June 2 and Oct. 15, according to information in the criminal complaint filed by Erie police Detective Roberta Raszkowski.

Zearfoss was solely responsible for collecting money from patrons as they entered the ramp at the gate, Raszkowski wrote in the complaint.

Erie police launched their investigation in December and reviewed video as part of the probe, according to investigators.

See Thursday’s Erie Times-News for more details.

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