An East Berlin woman faces multiple charges after being accused of altering and forging checks from a family she worked for as a nanny, according to State Police. Justice Manbeck, 29, allegedly stole over $6,000 from her employers through multiple forged checks.
The issue came to light when the hiring family, based in Adams County, noticed discrepancies with the checks paid to Manbeck and reported the matter to the State Police at Gettysburg in August 2023. Court documents reveal that photocopies of the forged checks were submitted as evidence.
Despite the discovery, Manbeck was not immediately confronted by the family but was instead ceased from her nanny services. It wasn’t until May 2024 that Manbeck responded to State Police inquiries over the phone, after previous attempts to contact her were unsuccessful. During the conversation, she attributed the theft to a cleaner employed by the family, claiming that the individual had admitted to the crime in a letter. However, she failed to provide further details or evidence to support her claims, such as bank statements or the alleged confession letter.
Manbeck faces seven felony counts each of forgery and access device fraud, alongside a felony count of theft. She was released on unsecured bail set at $10,000 by Magisterial District Judge Christopher Snyder. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 12.
