Update 6/23/16 – Plaza waived his court arraignment on June 21. He’s facing two felony charges of theft by deception, according to the source. Court documents show he allegedly used deceptive practices for the past six years while manager of Riverside to steal nearly $106,000 from the business, which is owned by F.W. Webb Co., a wholesale distributor. He was fired last fall for alleged internal violations.
Self-storage tenants told police that Plaza would ask them to pay for their units in cash or, if paying by check, to leave the “payable to” field blank, according to court documents filed at the 9th Circuit Court, Nashua District Division. Police allege Plaza would rent units for cash without recording them, and then pocket the money. He’s also accused of deducting late fees for customers who paid in cash and manually advancing the due date in the computer so the customer didn’t appear late. He would then write off the amount and keep the money, police said.
“After reviewing the numbers, it is clear that the amount of cash coming into F.W. Webb from Riverside Self Storage dropped significantly while Plaza was in charge,” Detective Joseph Rousseau of the Nashua Police Department wrote in the court affidavit.
Plaza worked for F.W. Webb for 20 years and began managing Riverside Self Storage in 2008. Although he has no criminal history, he was disciplined by the company 15 years ago for stealing money, the source reported.
F.W. Webb plans to seek compensation for the theft, according to Justin Costello, a store manager for the company. Company officials will also examine how Plaza operated the storage facility.
Plaza declined to speak with police after his arrest and asked for an attorney. He’s currently out on a $50,000 bail. The court has ordered him not to have any contact with his former employer. Plaza has a probable-cause hearing on July 12.
F.W. Webb is a family-owned business founded in 1866. In addition to owning Riverside Self Storage, the company offers products and services in 15 specialty businesses. Headquartered in Bedford, Mass., it has more than 80 locations in nine states throughout the Northeast.
4/29/16 – The manager of Riverside Self Storage in Nashua, N.H., was arrested this week for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from the business. John Plaza, 60, of Manchester, N.H., has been charged with felony theft. He’s being held on a $50,000 bail pending a June 21 arraignment, according to the source.
Police launched an investigation into the missing funds on March 9, the source reported. Plaza was identified as the prime suspect and arrested on April 26.
Riverside Self Storage at 7 Redmond St. offers drive-up and climate-controlled self-storage as well as U-Haul truck rentals.
Sources:
- F.W. Webb Co.: Website
- Nashua Patch: $100K+ Scheme at Nashua Riverside Self Storage: Manager Arrested
- New Hampshire Union Leader: Manchester Man Accused of Embezzling From Nashua Storage Facility
