I-Team: Housekeeper arraigned on felony theft charges

TUNKHANNOCK TOWNSHIP, WYOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Luzerne County woman is accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of items from families who hired her to do housekeeping.

Troopers say 56-year-old Melissa Lugar from Harding stole from at least three families who hired her to do housekeeping chores. Investigators claim she was cleaning up for herself by stealing personal belongings, including jewelry.

Lugar was accompanied by her attorney when she turned herself in at the state police barracks near Tunkhannock.

28/22 News spoke to a woman who says Lugar stole $20,000 worth of jewelry from her.

“I realized it in May and it had started in March. I asked her several times but she denied seeing any of the items that were missing. It’s a violation, it’s disrespectful. It’s heartbreaking to know that you trusted someone for years to be in your family’s home and the betrayal is devastating. It’s just unimaginable.”

Investigators say they received information from the victims and their families that they believed Lugar was stealing from them.

In fact, one family set up a camera in the bedroom of their elderly parent and allegedly recorded Lugar stealing items from the bedroom as their family member slept.

“Did you approach her? What did she say?,” 28/22 News I-Team Reporter Andy Mehalshick asked.

“I did approach her as I said through email, text message, personal telephone, and she said she personally never seen the items. She didn’t know what I was talking about and if I kept looking she was sure they would show up,” a victim said.

According to troopers, those items did indeed show up at local jewelry shops and other stores where she sold the items for cash.

The concern troopers have now is are there more victims out there?

“It’s a violation, it’s disrespectful and it’s heartbreaking to know that you trusted someone for years to be in your family’s home and the betrayal is devastating. It’s just unimaginable,” a victim told 28/22 News.

Wyoming County District Attorney Joe Peters spoke with 28/22 News in regards to the investigation.

This case is not about items and belongings: It’s a betrayal of trust for many of the victims.

“It’s about intrusion into a life, Andy. When these kinds of thefts occur first it’s about our victims and we are going to do everything or as much as all taken from them as is in the documents you saw today, second it’s about great police work,” District Attorney Peters explained.

Lugar had nothing to say and she’ll have a hearing in several weeks.

Lugar faces several charges, including theft, and she was released on bail.

If you have any information about these thefts or think you or your family may also be a victim, call state police at the Tunkhannock Pennsylvania State Police.

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