A New Castle man was accused of stealing more than $24,000 from his former employer in Jackson Township.

On April 11 Jackson Township Police charged Brian J. Stewart, 44, with four third-degree felonies, including stolen property and theft after he allegedly failed to make deposits of customer funds.

Following his arraignment April 12 by District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz, Stewart was released under an unsecured bond of $25,000.

According to charging documents, police received a call in March from Stewart’s employer at Pine Creek Structures in Zelienople.

The employer reported missing cash deposits of nearly $7,000 for a shed in September and $17,000 for an outdoor garage in October. The employer told police Stewart had taken the deposits from customers, but they were never deposited into the proper accounts.

Stewart, as a former retail sales manager, was under company policy to place customer deposits into business accounts before the end of the workday, according to the arresting officer in the affidavit.

Along with their written statements to police, the two customers produced their invoices, which did not match the records kept by Stewart, police said.

Stewart’s employment reportedly was terminated in February, and the company has provided police with accounting statements showing that both cash deposits were not placed into the business accounts.

Stewart is scheduled for a preliminary hearing May 10 before District Judge Amy Marcinkiewicz.