FISHKILL >> For the second time in four days, a Highland man has been arrested for allegedly using a non-profit agency’s credit card to make unauthorized purchases.
Bryan J. Vargas, 31, was arrested Tuesday and charged with the felonies of identity theft and grand larceny, state police said Wednesday.
Vargas used a not-for-profit agency’s credit card to make more than $2,000 in purchases, state police said.
In an email, Trooper Melissa McMorris of Troop K would not identify the organization but said Vargas “is a family member of an employee at the agency” allegedly targeted. Earlier, she wrote the organization “does not seem to be a Dutchess [County] agency.”
McMorris said Vargas turned himself in to state police at the Wappinger barracks.
He later was released with tickets to appear in Fishkill Town Court.
On Friday, town of Ulster police charged Vargas with using a credit card to steal more than $9,000 from a non-profit agency, identified Wednesday by Lt. J.P. Gramoglia as Gateway Community Industries. An initial press release about the arrest from Ulster police did not identify Gateway.
“Vargas had a family member that was employed by Gateway Industries during the time of the theft,” Gramoglia wrote, adding “Gateway Industries has been cooperating and assisting with the investigation, which is on going.”
Gateway has offices at 1 Amy Kay Parkway in Kingston and at 137 N. Chestnut St. in New Paltz.
In the Ulster incident, Vargas was accused of “gaining access to the card without permission” and then using it to make the purchases in the town of Ulster, police said.
Ulster police charged Vargas with the felonies of grand larceny, forgery and possession of stolen property.
He was sent to the Ulster County Jail on Friday and later released after posting $2,500 bail.