North Hills Grocery Store Owner Pleads Guilty To Coupon Scheme

ROSS TOWNSHIP, PA - The owner of four North Hills grocery stores was sentenced to four years of probation after admitting to participating in a fraudulent coupon scheme. Michael Mihelic, 60, of Franklin Park, pleaded guilty to a theft by deception charge.

Employees at Mihelic's Shop 'n Save stores- on Rochester Road and in Pines Plaza in Ross, in Shaler and at the Richland Mall - regularly took coupons from unsold newspapers. Mihelic then would submit them for reimbursement claiming customers had used them.

The scheme generated about $300,000, according to court documents. Mihelic has paid about $275,000 in restitution.