A Lehighton man has been accused in a civil lawsuit of stealing and embezzling more than $1 million from two local fuel oil companies. Anthony Rohlfing Jr. also faces accusations of fraudulently securing millions more in bank loans and using identity theft to financially destroy a family and its businesses.

The complaint was filed Sept. 9 in Carbon County Court of Common Pleas by Mark and Tara Krajcirik of Andreas and their companies — Evans Coal & Fuel Oil Inc. of Summit Hill, Reigel Fuel Oil LLC of Tamaqua and Krajcirik Automotive LLC of Lansford.

Among the allegations is that Rohlfing offered customers impossibly low fuel prices to induce large prepayments. The complaint states that Silberline (Eckart USA) is owed $742,203.89 in fuel or refunds, and that the Allentown Diocese prepaid approximately $60,000 for heating oil for St. Jerome’s School and St. Joseph’s of the Panther Valley for the next two years.

Web of lenders

The alleged fraud also touched more than a dozen lenders over several years. Rohlfing allegedly impersonated Krajcirik and, in some cases, Jeffrey Reigel, associated with Reigel Fuel Oil, to enter agreements with American Express, QuickBooks/Intuit, LA Capital, I Got Funded LLC, GCAP Holdings, Elite Funding, On Deck Capital, Tribecca Mortgage, Unify Capital, Novus Capital Funding II LLC, Seamless Funding, Essentia Funding, Litefund, Gett Funded LLC, Goose Funding LLC and Lendwise Inc.

On June 9, 2025, the complaint alleges, Rohlfing impersonated Mark Krajcirik and Reigel to enter into a factoring agreement with On Deck Capital for an immediate payment of $175,500 in exchange for $229,499.92 of Reigel’s future sales. On Jan. 8, 2026, he allegedly entered into a factoring agreement with Tribecca Mortgage for approximately $115,266 in exchange for $253,300 in future Evans sales. On June 16, 2026, he allegedly secured approximately $390,000 from Gett Funded LLC in exchange for $585,000 in future Evans sales, with $205,000 of that payment directed to LA Capital to retire a prior fraudulent agreement.

As things accelerated in the summer of 2026, Rohlfing allegedly entered into agreements with Unify Capital and Lendwise Inc. on July 1 and July 2, respectively, each for $170,000.

Identity theft component

The complaint alleges Rohlfing assumed Mark Krajcirik’s identity to orchestrate a complex series of transactions in which he obtained money through lines of credit or factoring agreements, arrangements in which a business sells its future receivables at a discount, directed those funds into business accounts he controlled and then transferred money to himself or his fictitious management company.

He would then enter into another transaction, using new funds to pay back previous loans while creating “the appearance of sufficient funds to obtain additional factoring agreements,” according to the complaint. At the same time, the complaint alleges, Rohlfing “would also steal or embezzle some of that money by transferring it to himself via an account he controlled.”

Between January 2025 and June 2026, the complaint states, Rohlfing embezzled at least $1,190,041.45 from Evans’ Key Bank account and funneled it into a JP Morgan Chase account he controlled. He also allegedly wrote himself and his company, C.O.M. Management, checks totaling more than $1 million from Evans and Reigel accounts and used company funds to pay personal expenses, including $8,000 for a pole barn and $4,020 to a person unknown to the plaintiffs.

The scheme’s origins, according to the complaint, trace to Aug. 19, 2021, when Rohlfing allegedly used Krajcirik’s identity without authorization to take out a $698,000 SBA COVID loan on behalf of Evans. As of July 2026, that loan was delinquent with a balance of $698,084 owed to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Fraudulent documents

To support the scheme, the complaint alleges Rohlfing created fraudulent documents using ChatGPT. One, the complaint continues, falsely stated that an OnDeck loan had been paid in full, which he then submitted to Northwest Bank to help secure a $3.75 million Small Business Administration loan and a $750,000 line of credit in April 2026. He also allegedly submitted altered Key Bank account analysis statements to the bank and created a ChatGPT document falsely claiming that Port 51 and iBusiness Funding would be taking over a loan from Lendio LLC.

“In reality, Rohlfing needed a large amount of cash to pay back previously entered into factoring agreements and continue his theft and embezzlement scheme,” the complaint states.

The scheme also ensnared the Krajciriks personally. Rohlfing allegedly fraudulently “induced” Mark and Tara Krajcirik to place a mortgage of approximately $853,202 on their home — which they owned free and clear — and to liquidate $347,500 in retirement accounts, directing both into the businesses. He further induced Krajcirik Automotive to contribute $150,000, according to the complaint.

The collapse

Within two months of the SBA loan closing, the businesses could no longer make payments to Northwest Bank, according to the complaint. The complaint includes questions Rohlfing allegedly posed to ChatGPT around that time: “Bank gave 3700000 SBA loan but it took a year until it got approved. 2 months in can’t pay payment will they give more money to get us through,” “Will the bank be in trouble,” and “If you claim bankruptcy for mca’s but keep paying other loans can you stay in business.”

In early July 2026, Rohlfing confessed to Mark Krajcirik by phone and in a ChatGPT-written text message that he had financially ruined him, his family and his businesses, according to the complaint. Even then, the complaint states, he did not disclose the full extent of what he had done.

“After Rohlfing’s confession, Plaintiffs began to unravel the web of lies, fraud, embezzlement, theft, and deceit,” the complaint states, adding that “the true extent of fraudulent activity and embezzlement conducted by Anthony Rohlfing is still unknown.”

The fallout

“The results of Rohlfing’s fraudulent actions financially ruined a family’s life and halted the operations of two successful businesses,” the complaint states.

The matter has been referred to law enforcement, according to the complaint. No criminal charges have been filed in the Carbon County Court of Common Pleas to date. The plaintiffs, represented by attorney Michael J. Blum of Gross McGinley LLP of Allentown, are seeking judgment plus interest, costs, attorney’s fees and punitive damages on four counts: theft by deception, embezzlement, fraud and fraud through identity theft.