The controller of Weehawken’s Sheraton Suites in Lincoln Harbor was arrested last Thursday and charged with the theft of more than $50,000 of the hotel’s receipts – all since the first of the year. According to police reports, Christopher McKeon, 35, of Paterson, was arrested by Weehawken police and charged with theft by deception for allegedly taking approximately $53,000 from the hotel and transferring the funds electronically to a personal bank account. According to Public Safety Director Jeff Welz, McKeon was nabbed after Weehawken police were alerted to the situation by Sheraton management. “The discrepancy was discovered by the management as part of their ongoing review,” Welz said. “They contacted our detectives and through our investigation, we were able to ascertain that the controller obviously had access to the hotel’s financial transactions. As part of the investigation, we monitored the financial transactions for a couple of days and discovered an incident that was tied to the suspect.” McKeon allegedly had been taking funds from several different sources of the hotel, then transferring the funds electronically to a private account with PNC Bank in Pittsburgh. “Bills were paid via credit card and he apparently was able to take the money for the bills and put it in his personal account, instead of going to Sheraton,” Welz said. “These were funds that only the suspect had access to. Customers would never know something was wrong, because their statements would read that the bills came from Sheraton. This was all money diverted from Sheraton’s corporate accounts. It’s a good scam if no one is paying attention.” After the latest incident, McKeon was arrested and charged with the white-collar crime. He remained in custody until posting bond, when he was released. McKeon is awaiting trial in Weehawken municipal court on the charges. The investigation is still ongoing. Sheraton is now checking old records before Jan. 1, 2000, to see if there were any improprieties before that time. “They’re examining last year’s records, plus the records of any hotels where the suspect might have worked in the past,” Welz said. “Since the investigation is still active, there is a chance that the suspect could face further charges.” If it is discovered that the suspect stole more than $75,000, the criminal charges become more severe and if convicted, the jail sentencing could become drastically more strict. As the charges stand now, the length of jail time and any subsequent fine, would be determined by the judge handling the case. The case would not be turned over to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. “This is something that we can handle in Weehawken, even if we find more evidence against the suspect,” Welz said. “It’s under the discretion of the judge to determine restitution and jail.” At first, there was some concern whether McKeon had an accomplice. If there were an accomplice, then the investigation would have become more widespread. “But we’re confident it was a very simple manipulation of electronic banking, done by the suspect,” Welz said. “I have to credit the Sheraton Suites people for spotting the situation and contacting the police.” Sheraton officials did not want to comment on the situation. But they confirmed that the arrest was made and that McKeon no longer works for the company.
Our Digital Archive from 2000 – 2016
