In August 2022, Bellingham Police Detectives began a criminal investigation after getting a report of embezzlement and theft from the manager and owner of Hardware Sales in Bellingham, WA. Amy D. Siniscarco, employed as an assistant manager at the time, was reported to have stolen funds from the business over the course of several years. The investigation showed Siniscarco embezzled over $1.4 million from the business between 2017 and 2022. Siniscarco turned herself in on January 2, 2023 and was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for seven counts of theft first degree, five counts of identity theft, and 13 counts of forgery.
During the past four months, the Bellingham Police detective investigating this embezzlement case, worked to identify the multiple ways in which Siniscarco took money from Hardware Sales and manipulated the accounting system and ledger to cover up and hide the thefts.
Based on the entirety of this complex investigation, Siniscarco was found to have used forged checks, mortgage direct payments, credit card fraud, petty cash theft, and a number of other ways to steal company funds. There were over 190 transactions made for a total loss of at least $1,424,696.31 from 2017 to present. There is evidence of financial loss to Hardware Sales by Siniscarco as far back as 2014.
Seven counts of theft first were for the aggregate totals of funds for the seven different ways Siniscarco took funds from the company. Five counts of identity theft are for each of the addresses used by Siniscarco to which aggregate felony level value of merchandise was sent from fraudulent credit card purchases. The 13 counts of forgery are for each of the 13 checks (2017-present) which were identified as forged by Siniscarco.
Siniscarco turned herself in at the Whatcom County Jail on January 2, 2023 and was booked.
