Police Apprehend Woman Wanted for Felony Theft

| July 29, 2015

HandcuffsOIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – A 39-year-old woman was arrested in Beaver County on an outstanding arrest warrant for felony theft stemming from an incident in Oil City.

According to an Oil City Police report, on July 28, 2015, at approximately 9:15 p.m., Brandi Lynn (Daugherty) Medlen, 39, of Freedom, Pa., was arrested in Beaver County during a traffic stop for a burnt out license plate light.

During the traffic stop, officers from the Freedom Police Department checked Medlen’s driver’s license status and learned that she was wanted in Venango County for an outstanding warrant issued by District Justice Andrew Fish, police say.

The warrant was issued based on charges of Felony-Theft of a Motor Vehicle, and Misdemeanor-Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle from an incident in which Medlen took a vehicle owned by an Oil City resident to the New Brighton area and refused to return it upon the owner’s demand, according to police.

Medlen was detained by Freedom Police officers and committed to the Beaver County Jail, police say.

Officers from the Oil City Police Department traveled to Beaver County and transported Medlen back to Venango County for arraignment at District Court 28-3-01.

On July 29, Medlen was arraigned before District Justice Andrew Fish for the outstanding felony warrant, and new charges were also filed for additional felony theft offenses, which include:

  • Theft – Felony 3
  • Theft by Deception – Felony 3
  • Failure to Make Required Disposition of Funds – Felony 3
  • Access Device Fraud – Felony 3

Police say that during the period of November 8, 2014, through December 25, 2014, in the Borough of New Brighton, Beaver County – Huntington WESBNCO and ESB banks obtained $12,661.25 belonging to Franklin Oil Region Credit Union.

It is alleged that Medlen obtained the funds by using a system of cash advances and phone payments which “floated” the money, thus defrauding the creditor. “Floating money” is a scheme where it appears that the required payment to satisfy the debts are being made; however, at the time of balance, all payments are rejected, police say.

District Court 28-3-01 granted search warrants allowing investigating officers to collect evidence which implicated Medlen was in fact the individual completing the transactions at the various banking locations throughout the New Brighton area, according to police.

Bail was set on both cases at $125,000.00 straight bail, and Medlen was committed to the Venango County Jail, police say.

The high bail amount was due in part to the fact that Medlen failed to appear before District Justice Fish for arraignment on the original warrant on two separate occasions. She was given an opportunity to turn herself in March of 2015, which she failed to do so for personal reasons. She was given consideration for the seriousness of those issues and was granted a second opportunity for arraignment in April of 2015, and failed to appear, according to police.

A preliminary hearing for each case is scheduled for August 5, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. at the Venango County Courthouse.

No other information was released.

Stay with exploreVenango.com for continued coverage of this Breaking News story.


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