Crime & Safety
Former Cosmopolitan Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
James Fortunato, the former general manager of the Cosmopolitan restaurant in Allentown, had been accused of embezzling $163,000 from his employer and spending money at a strip club, on dinner cruises and on other items.
The former general manager of the Cosmopolitan Restaurant in Allentown has pleaded guilty to embezzling from the restaurant, according to online court records.
Charges filed in January against James Fortunato, 41, of 2340 Black Forest Drive, North Whitehall, accused him of stealing $163,000 over time from the restaurant and spending money on dinner cruises, visits to a strip club and purchases at a retail tore. He also was accused of making ATM withdrawals in Pennsylvania and New York.
Fortunato pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking Tuesday before Judge William Ford in a negotiated plea, online court records show. An additional charge of receiving stolen property was withdrawn.
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According to a report in The Morning Call, a prosecutor told the court that Fortunato admits to stealing $55,000, much less than than authorities alleged.
Sentencing and a restitution hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 16 in Lehigh County Court.
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Fortunato was later hired as general manager of Revolutions at Saucon Valley, but after the charges became public and less than 24 hours after the entertainment venue's grand opening, he was said to no longer be employed there.
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