UPDATE: Grabaskas has waived his preliminary hearing, meaning he will be face charges in Indiana County’s Court of Common Pleas.
A trial date has not been set yet. Grabaskas remains free on his own recognizance.
WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED
A preliminary hearing is scheduled today (10 AM) for 55-year-old Peter Grabaskas the former Chief Operating Officer of Indiana County-based Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services who is charged with stealing more than $138,000 from the company over a twenty-month period.
Grabaskas was fired by Phoenix and left Indiana County to become the CEO of Ocean State Healthcare in Rhode Island. After his firing, the company discovered the alleged misuse of its credit card for his personal use between January 9th of 2016 and August 27th of last year.
Grabaskas is currently listed as living in Glen Mills, in Delaware County. He is charged with three felonies: theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, theft by unlawful taking, and theft by deception.
In an extensive criminal affidavit, Grabaskas is accused of using Phoenix Rehabilitation funds to pay for airfare, hotels, car rental, Steelers tickets, a gifts for his “paramour”, a woman to whom he gave numerous items such as a laptop computer, flowers, airfare and hotel room rental.
Grabaskas was fired last year when he refused to pay back a $250,000 personal loan from Phoenix CEO David Watson unless he was named president of the company. The loan was intended to support Grabaskas’ daughter’s competing in equestrian events in Europe.
