A Mercer County man stole several thousands of dollars by forging his employer’s name on dozens of business checks and cashing them for himself, Butler police said.

The suspect, Jeffrey L. Abrams, 58, of Sharon, cited his crack cocaine addiction as the motive, according to a police report.

He allegedly looted $5,366 from Johnson’s Tooling of Butler, where he did general office work.

City police on Monday arrested Abrams at the business on 70 felony criminal counts stemming from the suspected forged check-cashing scheme that spanned four months.

Becky Johnson, the owner of the business on South McKean Street, reported the theft after discovering Abrams had used an office computer to print 35 checks without her authority.

Each business check included her name and forged signature and were made payable to Abrams with his signature, police said.

The checks were printed between Dec. 11 and Monday. Twenty-six of the checks were chased at the Walmart in Butler Township and nine of the checks were cashed at the Walmart in Hermitage, Mercer County.

He allegedly admitted to the allegations and blamed his drug addiction.

“I knew I would get caught,” he said, according to the report. “It was only a matter of time.”

What apparently surprised him, police said, was how much he managed to steal.

“When told of the total amount,” the report said, “he was shocked but did not disagree with the amount.”

District Judge Pete Shaffer arraigned Abrams on 35 counts each of forgery and theft by deception. He was placed in the Butler County Prison on $15,000 bail, following arraignment.