City All-Star Football Game will be played despite embezzlement scandal, attorney says

On Friday, the Inquirer reported that West Catholic football coach Brian Fluck was no longer president of the Philadelphia City All-Star Football Game’s four-member executive committee, after questions arose about missing committee funds. Since then, coaches and players around the city have grown concerned about the game’s status. In previous seasons, the 100-player roster was chosen in mid-February.

“The game is crucial,” Sytsma, who just completed his second season as Frankford’s coach, said Wednesday night. “It’s the fabric of high school football in Philly over the last 44 years. Can’t lose it. It’s gotta be played.”

The game, played last year at Northeast High on May 19, “will proceed as scheduled,” said Fortunato N. Perri Jr., a lawyer representing the game’s executive board. Details were not provided.

In a statement Wednesday, Perri wrote that “the Executive Board is committed to continuing the opportunity for future players for decades to come.”

The statement also alleged that Fluck, who has been West Catholic’s coach since 1999 and is a 1988 graduate of the school, embezzled and misappropriated funds while president, a title he held for 10 years. West Catholic has placed him on administrative leave.

Several members of the game’s larger 16-person board (now minus Fluck) have said that at least $50,000 in committee funds are believed to be unaccounted for. Fluck (pronounced “Fluke”) says he “stepped down” from the board. The board says he was “relieved of his duties.”

Fluck has declined further comment multiple times. In a statement, his attorney, Richard F. Klineburger III, wrote that Fluck would “continue to cooperate with West Catholic, the Archdiocese as well as the Philadelphia All Star Game Board to properly clear his good name.”

Athletes and their families have provided paperwork concerning missing or delayed scholarship money awarded by the committee that ranged from $500 to more than $1,000 from 2010 to 2018.

Klineburger said that, to his knowledge, all monies were paid to “every student who properly completed all of the documentation required.”

Perri, the executive board’s lawyer, wrote that all options to recover the “stolen funds,” including the involvement of law enforcement, will be utilized.

For athletes such as Price, however, the city all-star game represents a chance to recover from injury and perhaps a final opportunity to impress college coaches.

His knee and ankle both felt “hot” immediately after the injuries, he said. An MRI confirmed his knee injury in November. Surgery repaired it Dec. 11.

“At the pace I’m going, my physical therapist is pushing me, and I’m trying to get my leg ready for the all-star game," he said. "And yes, I believe I’ll be ready before the game.”

Price, a powerful runner with quick feet, was voted All-Public League as a junior by league coaches. Injuries, he believes, hampered his recruitment as a senior.

“It’s just always been in my heart to play football,” said Price, who attends Sankofa, which doesn’t have a football program.

His mom, Keva Waters, and dad, Greg Price, put him in football when he was 5 years old. He played for the Mount Airy Bantams and Lawncrest before Frankford.

“It would be a dream come true to play in college," he said.

Price is already an academic qualifier by NCAA standards, Sytsma said. He just wants an opportunity to play, and he’s not alone.

“Honestly for some kids, it could be the last football game they ever play,” said Bartram coach and athletic director Jim Chapman.

Chapman, in his sixth year as coach and administrator, guided the Public side last year.

“It was a great experience and brought a lot of the city’s kids together, and some of them forged bonds that they’ll have forever,” he said.

Since news of the turmoil surrounding the game broke, Chapman said his players have asked about the game’s status. Sytsma echoed similar sentiments.

“We need all hands on deck to make sure this works,” Chapman said. “It’s not an easy task. We need support from all the former alumni of the game and for businesses to help out and help do this for our kids, because our kids deserve this.”

Former Pappy Chuck’s owner stole $167,000 from Bellefonte church, police say

The former owner of Pappy Chuck’s Candy Shoppe embezzled more than $167,000 from St. John Lutheran Church, according to Bellefonte police.

Pastor William Osman and a member of the church’s congregation met Jan. 2 to discuss money that was missing from the church’s bank account. The two found inconsistencies and believed the church would be out of money in two years if the trend continued, according to court documents.

The investigation led police to the church’s treasurer, Chuck Kormanski, who held that role since 1998.

Police said the 56-year-old from Bellefonte wrote himself 379 checks over the past seven years, totaling $167,420.12. The first check was signed Dec. 25, 2011.

“With all the evidence collected to date, it appears (Kormanski) did write himself checks with the intention to deceive and steal from the St. John Lutheran Church over the past seven years for his own personal gain,” police wrote.

In a Facebook post, St. John Lutheran Church said it continues to cooperate with law enforcement and relieved Kormanski of his duties.

“We involved the Bellefonte Police Department as soon as we learned of this situation and we continue to be transparent with the congregation concerning what is happening,” the post said. “Meanwhile, we are continuing with our regularly schedule(d) worship services, as well as praying for everyone involved and affected by this situation.”

Kormanski was charged with 379 felony counts of theft by unlawful taking, 379 felony counts of theft by deception and 379 felony counts of receiving stolen property.

He was arraigned Monday by District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, who set monetary bail at $75,000. Kormanski did not post bail and is being detained at the Centre County Correctional Facility.

Kormanski opened his business in April and closed in December.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23.

Woman charged with embezzlement

 One woman has been arrested on felony charges following an embezzlement case involving a nonprofit group, according to a news release from Mifflin County Regional Police Department.

On Sunday, Jan. 22, members of Shining Light Through the Darkness, of the East Freedom United Methodist Church, Burnham, contacted police after suspecting funds had been taken without permission.

According to the release, the church was preparing for an audit when they discovered the

inconsistency.

Upon investigation by police, it was discovered  that the organization’s treasurer, Sandra Gray, 36, of Lewistown, had electronically transferred approximately $5,690 from the group into her private bank account.

According to the release, Gray began transferring funds Sept. 19, 2016, through Jan. 19.

MCRPD officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the financial records of the group and Gray’s private financial records, according to the release.

Gray was arrested on felony charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Jonathan Reed.

Social Worker Killed to Cover Up School Embezzlement

In a case that Philadelphia police say has left them "angry and confounded," a social worker allegedly gunned down a colleague in broad daylight after she discovered that he had embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from an after-school outreach program. Police say Randolph Sanders has confessed to killing Kim Jones on the morning of Jan. 13 before she boarded a bus on her way to report the theft to the Department of Human Services, NBC Philadelphia reports. He was the assistant director of Turning Points for Children, and Jones, who hired him two years ago, was the program director. The day after the murder, Sanders told WPVI that he and his colleagues were "just stunned" by the killing.

Sanders covered his face with a cap and was careful not to look at security cameras while walking to and from the crime scene, police say, but he was arrested after surveillance footage led investigators to his SUV. Jones, 56, ran programs that helped low-income families work with schools to boost their children's grades. Police believe Sanders was stealing gift cards meant for the families. One of Jones' two adult sons says Sanders shook his hand and looked him in the eye at her funeral, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "I now put my faith in our justice system to truly give him what he deserves for murdering a respected, generous, loved, and selfless woman [who] did nothing but try to help people," the son says.

Ex-HACC VP Nancy Rockey gets federal prison for $233K embezzlement scheme

Calling her crime "knowing and willful" a federal judge Tuesday sentenced former Harrisburg Area Community College Vice President Nancy Rockey to 15 months in prison for stealing $233,000 from the school.

The penalty U.S. Middle District Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner imposed was six months lower than that sought by the prosecutor.

Conner said he took several factors into account, including what he believes is Rockey's genuine remorse for the somewhat bizarre three-year embezzlement scheme and a deal she has struck to at least partly repay HACC's insurer.

Investigators said that, beginning in 2009, Rockey used a HACC-issued credit card to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gift cards from Amazon and Target. She then doctored financial records to hide the thefts. Rockey was arrested in January 2013 and pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge 10 months later.

Rockey, 55, a single mother of two from Lower Paxton Township, was visibly nervous as she waited for Conner to enter the courtroom. She wept as Conner allowed her to speak before sentencing.

"I can never articulate…how awful I feel," she said. "Remorse is so deep inside me. And guilt."

Rockey told the judge she had "grown up at HACC," having started work there at age 22. Her career at the college spanned 31 years. "I loved HACC. I loved HACC with all my heart," she said. "There is absolutely no excuse for what I've done."

"The past three years I've been in Hell," Rockey added. "I'm a different person. I'm a broken person. But I believe in changing lives and making a difference."

One supporter called by defense attorney Adam G. Klein, psychologist Lee Morand, told Conner she believes the financial fraud stemmed at least partly from financial pressures Rockey experienced after being divorced.

"She is remorseful and in my opinion has been for three years. I believe she will be for the rest of her life," Morand said.

Another backer, Frank Dixon, chairman of the Lebanon-based Dixon Foundation and a board member and former chairman of the HACC Foundation, spoke of how impressed he was working with Rockey on fund-raising for HACC.

"She made a mistake, but I think her talents and energy are needed by society," Dixon said.

A friend, of Rockey, Doug Neidigh, said the news of her crime "hit me like a punch in the stomach." The fraud was totally out of character for her, he said.

Neidigh also urged Conner not to overlook what he said were Rockey's "dedication" and contributions to HACC. "She had a large hand in bringing the college to where it is now," he said.

Klein said Rockey had tried, unsuccessfully, to repay HACC in full from her retirement, but was unable to access the funds to do so. He said she has an agreement to settle the restitution issue by paying the college's insurer $127,500 at a pace of $18,000 annually. HACC was made whole by its insurer, Klein said.

About 20 backers of Rockey attended her sentencing hearing. Conner noted he received four dozen letters from her supporters.

Yet Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph J. Terz insisted that Rockey's crime was not so different from other financial offenses that have sent local bank officials and others to federal prison recently.

Rockey's obvious dedication to HACC simply makes her crime "all the more baffling," said Terz, who sought a prison term of at least 21 months.

"This is not a private institution. It's a public institution," he said of HACC. "She's betrayed the trust of the community, and to a larger extent the trust of society."

Conner said Rockey's crime was a "fairly complex fraud with significant financial consequences." Still, it is obvious she "was a dedicated employee in many respects," he said, and she could not have believed her embezzlement would not eventually be discovered.

"I believe Ms. Rockey is remorseful enough that she will never again engage in this type of activity," Conner said.

He ordered Rockey to begin serving her prison term on Feb. 19.

Ex-Official of Catholic School Sentenced on Embezzlement Charges in Erie, Pennsylvania

An Erie County judge handed down a sentence, Tuesday, to a former Erie Catholic school employee who plead guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from Saint Peter Cathedral School.

A judge sentenced 63-year-old David Earls to 7 years probation for embezzling nearly $170,000 dollars from the school.

The judge said Earls will have to make a serious effort to pay back all of that money as well as complete 100 hours of community service and write apology letters to school officials.

A plea deal kept the case from going to trial.

In May, Earls plead guilty to charges that he fraudulently used school credit cards for personal purchases.  He also admitted to giving himself and his wife unauthorized raises.  Earls told the court, Tuesday morning, he thought the raises were approved.

Director of the school, Father Michael Ferrick, says it's taken some time, but the parish is moving past this.

"A lot of people have been hurt.  Not only financially, but people who felt that they put their trust in Mr. Earls, feel like they were taken advantage of," said Ferrick.  "We have moved forward and we're moving forward.  The school is going to begin in a few weeks and we have the same enrollment as we did last year, which is tremendous."

Earls has already paid $25,000 back to the school.

Philly charter school CEO gets three years for embezzlement

The former CEO of a Philadelphia charter school was sentenced to three years in prison Monday for stealing funds from the school.

Masai Skief, 32, pleaded guilty last year to embezzling $88,000 from the Harambee Institute of Science Technology Charter School and a related nonprofit, the Harambee Institute. After signing the plea agreement, prosecutors said that Skief kept stealing money from the Harambee Institute. In all, he took an extra $12,000, they said.

Prosecutors said that led them to ask for a longer sentence than the 21 to 27 months they originally sought.

"He just continued to help himself to money for men's clothing, for his girlfriend. He got a hotel room for her. He had his car repaired," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen. "He basically just treated the institute's money as his personal piggy bank."

Until recently, Skief said, "I went through spells of ignorance and deflection and even some arrogance." He told U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond that, though it may be hard to believe, he is now truly sorry for his actions and their impact on his loved ones.

"Worst of all, I let down my family," he said. "And the worst was setting an awful example for my 15-year-old son."

However, Judge Diamond did not grant Skief any leniency for pleading guilty, noting, "He kept violating and kept violating and kept violating."

In addition to his prison term, Skief must pay $88,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after his imprisonment. During that time, he cannot work at the Harambee Institute or charter school.

Former teacher union official sentenced for embezzlement

Former union official Lisa Barrett wept as her sentence she was sentenced Friday, shoulders heaving deeply as she learned a judge’s mercy still meant she will spend a year of her life in prison.


“I had planned to give you more time,” U.S. District Court Judge James Munley told Barrett, 48, of Shavertown, the former president of the Wyoming Area Teachers Union who pleaded guilty in October to embezzling nearly $60,000 using union debit and credit cards to support a lifestyle of shopping, travelling and dining.


The charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ probation. Munley sentenced Barrett to 12 months in prison, two years’ probation and $2,600 in fines and fees.


As Barrett sobbed, Munley told her written and verbal statements given by relatives, friends and colleagues about Barrett’s character factored into his decision.


Those supporters variously recalled a young woman who put herself through college after her father died, a sibling who cared for an ailing sister, the mother of a teenage son, and a suffering woman being treated for mental health issues.


“Looking at you, hearing the people here and considering all the people who hold you in high regard, I changed my mind and gave you a lesser sentence,” the judge said.


“I’ve also considered your son. I am aware of the fact that you and your former husband share custody,” the judge said.


Violated a trust


But Munley also made plain that Barrett had violated a position of trust, earning her a place among a catalogue of corrupt Northeastern Pennsylvania officials who have made headlines for all the wrong reasons, from judges and county commissioners to school board members and Little League officials.


“These are crimes. They are thefts. They are embezzlement,” Munley said. “You know, what I am concerned about is that we sent the right message so we discourage persons from abusing their positions of authority.”


Barrett, a high school career technology teacher, resigned her position as union president and requested a sabbatical from work in February at the same time Luzerne County District Attorney Stephanie Salavantis confirmed her office had agreed to look into reports of missing funds.


Barrett is no longer a teacher or a union member.


Her crimes occurred between 2007 and 2012, prosecutors said, describing purchases from department stores and restaurants, as well as on family trips to Virginia Beach, Va., and Ithaca and Cooperstown, N.Y.


$59,273 in restitution


She has paid $59,273 in restitution, defense attorney Christopher Powell said.


“I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Barrett told the judge. “In my quest to please everyone and gain acceptance, I became overwhelmed.”


Barrett, who has the right to appeal, according to Munley, did not speak to reporters after leaving court.


“You’d have to ask Judge Munley what he was trying to do, but to me, that sentence is severe enough to send a message,” Powell told reporters, adding that his client is “very upset.”


“I understand the sentence,” Powell said. He and Barrett had hoped for a lesser penalty, but acknowledged “it was within the guidelines.”


Current Wyoming Area Education Association President Melissa Dolman told the judge that the union accepted the restitution that has been made.


The judge pointed out Barrett may actually have taken as much as $90,000, according to early estimates, and that the amount recognized by investigators was all that could be documented because of union record-keeping. Dolman acknowledged the group “never had an audit done.”


“That’s not saying much for the union,” Munley retorted.


Dolman told the judge, and later reporters, that procedures have changed, and there is now an audit committee.


Barrett has until March 5 to surrender herself to federal custody. Officials did not say where she might be housed.


“I’m sorry, but you have to pay the consequences, you know?” Munley said, sighing before he spoke his final words to the trembling, sobbing Barrett.


“Good luck to you. That’s it.”

he sentence - one year in federal prison - shocked and devastated Lisa Barrett.

"Oh my God, what I am supposed to do?" Barrett screamed out, sobbing and clutching her sister, just after Friday morning's court hearing ended.

A former teacher for the Wyoming Area School District, Barrett had pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $59,000 from her union while serving as union president.

Barrett, 48, illegally used a union debit/credit card on various illegitimate purchases over six years to improve her "personal lifestyle," U.S. District Judge James M. Munley said, releasing new details on the embezzlement charges.

"I am sorry. You have to pay the consequences," Munley told Barrett, who must surrender to federal authorities by March 5.

Munley said he was "concerned about sending the right message" to anyone entrusted with access to public funds or funds for community and employee organizations.

According to the judge, Barrett illegally used the debit/credit card to make cash withdrawals for personal use; buy meals at local restaurants; make retail purchases at Lowe's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Target and Cape May Sandals; and fund trips with friends and family to Cooperstown, N.Y.; Ithaca, N.Y., and Virginia Beach, Va.

Barrett lives in Kingston Township and shares custody of her 13-year-old son with her ex-husband. She ignored the media when exiting the William J. Nealon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Scranton.

She and her attorney, Christopher T. Powell Jr., were expecting a less-severe sentence because of her cooperation with authorities and willingness to pay $59,273 back to the union in restitution.

"You'd have to ask Judge Munley what he was trying to do, but to me, that sentence is severe enough to send a message," Powell said.

In court, Munley said he was planning to impose a more-severe sentence before he heard from Barrett and her brother in-law. When addressing the judge, Barrett apologized to union members and her family.

"I accept full responsibility," she added.

Last February, Barrett resigned as president of her union, the Wyoming Area Education Association, and took a leave as a career-technology teacher, citing "personal and medical reasons." The school board accepted Barrett's resignation as a district teacher at its Aug. 20 meeting.

Her salary as a teacher exceeded $74,000 a year. She started teaching for the district in 1996.

Barrett entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in September, and did not reach an agreement on a sentence.

Also in September, Barrett submitted a request to the Public School Employees' Retirement System to obtain her pension-fund contributions over the years plus interest. The agency has not processed her application, agency spokeswoman Evelyn Tatkovski said.

According to Barrett's divorce settlement in 2010, her former husband agreed to pay her a sum of $600,000, waived his interest in their Kingston Township home, agreed to pay all mortgage bills and debts on the property and agreed to pay $1,300 a month in child support until their son become 18. The Kingston Township property has an assessed value of $444,700, records show.

Barrett started embezzling union funds in 2006, authorities said. The union and its parent organization, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, could not conduct a forensic audit to determine the exact amount of how much was embezzled because receipts were not available, the current union president, Melissa Dolman, told the judge in court.

The union has made procedural changes in reviewing expenditures to prevent officials from embezzling funds in the future, Dolman said. Union members have been working under an expired collective bargaining agreement since 2010 and went on strike this past September.

The strike interrupted four weeks of school and had to end to allow the completion of 180 school days by June 15. An arbitrator's decision to try to resolve the collective-bargaining dispute is expected this month.

Former Easton church treasurer stole $300K

A former treasurer of an Easton church is expected to turn herself in to police Thursday on charges she stole more than $317,000 from First Presbyterian Church over at least seven years to pay personal bills.

Police on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Ann Marie Ballentine, 51, of the 3000 block of Oregon Street in Palmer Township, that lists charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

An arraignment on the charges has been scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Thursday in district court.

•  »

Court records state that church leaders told police this month that Ballentine had been stealing money instead of paying church bills since at least June 2006, the earliest the church's bank, National Penn, had photographic records. The thefts continued until October, police said.

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Church leaders approached Ballentine in November and she admitted taking the money, court records state.

In a Jan. 16 interview with police, Ballentine "admitted to having taken the money for the sole purpose of paying her monthly personal bills," the affidavit states.

For nearly 10 years, Ballentine served as treasurer at First Presbyterian, 333 Spring Garden St., current treasurer Charlie Young said.

"It's a large amount of money for us," Young said of the alleged embezzlement and the pending charges. "We're torn as a Christian organization."

Young said that Ballentine, who has been a longtime member of the church, resigned as treasurer in November.

Young said the church underwent a redevelopment project about a decade ago and incurred a large debt, and although the church was meeting its financial obligations, it was a "struggle."

Ballentine worked in the Easton Area School District as a special education teacher at the 7/8 Middle School building, Superintendent John Reinhart said. "She is currently on leave and not teaching," he said in an email.

Ballentine could not be reached Wednesday for comment.

Harambee charter CEO to surrender to federal authorities

West Philadelphia charter school chief executive Masai Skief has agreed to turn himself over to federal authorities this week while he waits sentencing on embezzlement charges.

Skief, 32, CEO of the Harambee Institute of Science Technology Charter School, said in court papers filed Monday that he would not dispute federal prosecutors' allegations he had used a debit card to steal money from Harambee after he pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges in August.

Prosectors asked a federal judge last week to revoke Skief's bail because he had violated his plea agreement, which barred him from having access to Harambee funds.

Skief agreed to be placed in custody, pending his sentencing hearing Jan. 22 on two counts of wire fraud in connection with embezzling $88,000 from the charter and the related nonprofit, Harambee Institute.

Skief asked U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond to give him until noon on Thursday to surrender.

The judge has not ruled

Feds: Guilty of embezzlement, Harambee charter-school CEO resumes embezzling

The U.S. Attorney's Office has asked a federal judge to revoke West Philadelphia charter school chief executive Masai Skief's bail on grounds that he is continuing to steal money from the charter - even as he awaits sentencing for embezzlement.

In August, Skief, 32, the son of the late founder of the Harambee Institute of Science Technology Charter School, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in connection with embezzling $88,000 from the charter and the related nonprofit, Harambee Institute. He used the money on personal expenses, including a down payment on a house.

Since then, however, Skief has used Harambee's debit card 40 times, racking up charges of $11,000 in cash and purchases, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday.

"Following the entry of his guilty plea, the defendant walked out of the courthouse and resumed the fraud that resulted in the criminal charges to which he pleaded guilty," the government said in its filing.

Federal investigators said Skief used the card five times within nine days of his guilty plea.

Prosecutors have asked U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond to revoke Skief's $50,000 bail and detain him. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 22.

Neither Skief nor his attorney, Scott A. Coffina, could be reached for comment.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen said Skief's actions were unusual.

"Most people who sign a plea agreement do not go out of the courtroom and then return to the criminal activity they had pled guilty to," Lappen said Friday.

In the filing, prosecutors said that Skief had continued to be involved with Harambee's finances in violation of the terms of his plea agreement. He also failed to report to Pretrial Services on Sept. 9, as he had been directed to do.

When confronted, Skief said he woke up late that day and did not have time to report to Pretrial Services "because he was dealing with 'school business,' " court documents said.

Prosecutors said that Skief's actions demonstrate "an arrogance that is difficult to understand."

Skief, who had been a science teacher at the charter school earning $40,000, became CEO at Harambee and the related nonprofit in December 2007 after his father, John, died unexpectedly at age 59.

In the plea agreement, Skief admitted stealing more than $79,000 from Harambee Institute, which owns the charter school's building, and taking $9,000 from a scholarship fund created in the memory of his father. At the time of the plea agreement, sentencing guidelines suggested a prison sentence of at least 21 to 27 months.

Hatfield Woman, Ex-Church Treasurer, Accused of Embezzlement Waives Hearing, Felony Charge Dropped

The former treasurer of Emmanuel Evangelical Congregational Church in Hatfield Borough accused of stealing $81,453 from its funds—and allegedly leaving $36.11 in its account—waived her preliminary hearing in Souderton District Court Monday, according to court records.
In exchange for the waiver, the prosecution dropped a felony receiving stolen property charge against Stephanie Anne Kligge, 35, of the 400 block of South Main Street, according to court records.
Kligge faces charges of felony theft by deception, felony theft by unlawful taking, felony theft by failing to make required deposits of funds and misdemeanor misapplication of entrusted property, according to court records.
Kligge is free on $25,000 cash bail.
A formal arraignment in Montgomery County court is set for Feb. 2.
Kligge was treasurer from July 2012 through June 30, 2013.
Kligge, as treasurer, allegedly made 64 bank withdrawals from the church's account totaling $61,453.20 for her own personal use and without authorization, police said.
Kligge then allegedly stole $20,000 from the church's bank account to buy gift cards that she kept for her own personal use rather than provide them to the church's fundraising program, Ferman said.
In order to conceal her alleged crimes, Kligge allegedly provided the church with false monthly treasurer reports that showed balances of more than $100,000, Ferman said. In reality, Kligge allegedly drained the account, leaving $36.11.
According to The Reporter, an investigation against Kligge began when, in September, the president of the church board went to Hatfield police to report money was missing from the savings account.
This case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Abidiwan-Lupo.

A Hatfield woman allegedly stole more than $81,000 from the local church where she once worked as treasurer, according to authorities.

Stephanie Anne Kligge, 35, of the 400 block of South Main Street, was arraigned Wednesday before District Court Judge Kenneth Deatelhauser, of Souderton, on charges of theft, receiving stolen property and misapplication of entrusted property in connection with allegedly stealing $81,453 from Emmanuel Evangelical Congregational Church, 100 S. Main St., between September 2012 and August 2013.

“She’s alleged to have committed two different types of thefts,” explained Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Abidiwan-Lupo, alleging Kligge stole $61,453 by making 64 unauthorized withdrawals from church bank accounts and another $20,000 by pocketing gift cards she was supposed to purchase for a church fundraising initiative. “Rather than give those gift cards to the church, the allegation is she kept those gift cards for herself and kept them for her own personal use without authorization.”

Kligge served as treasurer of the church, which is located just three blocks from her home, from July 2012 to August 2013, according to a criminal complaint filed by Hatfield Detective Thomas Starner. Kligge, when confronted by authorities, claimed she began withdrawing funds from the church in August 2012 “without authorization and used it for personal use” Starner alleged in the arrest affidavit.

“It’s an embezzlement of the church’s money and money that’s meant to be for the congregation and for non-profit programs the church runs. However, the allegation is she spent it on herself, rather than the church,” Abidiwan-Lupo alleged, maintaining Kligge’s crimes were a breach of trust.

Kligge allegedly concealed her crimes by falsifying monthly treasurer reports that indicated a balance in the church account of more than $100,000, according to court documents. In truth, authorities alleged, Kligge had drained the account of all but $36.11.

The investigation began in September after the president of the church board went to Hatfield police to report money was missing from the church’s business savings account, according to the criminal complaint.

Deatelhauser set Kligge’s bail at $25,000 cash, which Kligge was unable to immediately post. Kligge was taken to the county jail to await her Dec. 24 preliminary hearing.

Kligge’s arrest marked the second time in four months that an employee of a Montgomery County church was accused of church thefts.

In August, James Lee Moody, 47, the former bookkeeper at Victory Fellowship Church in Lower Providence, was arrested for allegedly stealing more than $156,000 from that church’s coffers between May 2011 and May 2013 while he worked at the church in the 2600 block of Audubon Road.

Moody, of the 3500 block of Woodhaven Road, Philadelphia, is being held in the county jail in lieu of $99,000 cash bail while awaiting trial.

“Unfortunately, over the last couple of years we’ve seen numerous non-profit organizations and community groups having someone internally steal money from them...and it again reminds people who volunteer their time on these boards to remain vigilant to make sure their organizations are protected from internal thefts,” Lupo said.

Former Colton youth baseball league president jailed in embezzlement case in Pennsylvania

 Colton police on Monday arrested the former president of the Colton Pony Baseball League on suspicion of embezzling from the league’s funds.

Police said Matthew James Hernandez, 40, of Colton stole more than $900 while he was president of the league from November 2012 to February 2013.

Police had been investigating unauthorized withdrawals made from the league’s account and conducted an audit. When Hernandez came to the Colton Police Department for questioning on Monday, he was taken into custody and booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of embezzlement and grand theft.

Woman sought in embezzlement from Claremore Boy Scouts troop in Pennsylvania

An arrest warrant has been issued for a woman who is accused of embezzling $16,607 from a Claremore Boy Scouts troop.
Rachel Lunsford, 39, was charged in Rogers County District Court on Thursday, records show.
The Boy Scout troop’s committee chairman contacted police about suspicious activity on the troop’s checking account in July, when he realized it been overdrawn, a police affidavit states.
The chairman “identified numerous transactions in the checking account which do not reflect the expenditures” of the troop, including 23 checks written payable to cash, five checks to Lunsford family members and five checks to utility companies, according to the document. The troop was also reportedly missing $1,860 from fundraisers, an investigator wrote.
Lunsford is described as white, 5 feet 5 inches tall and 180 pounds.
Her last name also appears on some court records as Lundsford.

Sentencing postponed in church embezzlement case in Pennsylvania

Sentencing was delayed Friday for a man charged with stealing more than $100,000 from a local Catholic parish over the course of four years.

Daniel Yasick, 38, of Heilwood, was due to appear before Indiana County Judge Thomas Bianco to be sentenced for 190 counts relating to the embezzlement of money from Resurrection Church in Clymer between 2008 and 2011.

He stole the money, police said, while working as the parish’s business manager.
Yasick pleaded guilty to one consolidated theft count graded as a third-degree felony on Aug. 2 in Indiana County Court.

According to Yasick’s attorney, Thomas G. Johnson, and Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty, the sentencing was postponed to allow for more time to determine the proper amount of restitution Yasick owed.

Yasick resigned from his position in January, right around the time the Diocese of Greensburg enlisted state police assistance in investigating discrepancies in Resurrection Church’s budget.
The diocese then commissioned a forensic audit. The results were sent to state police.
Police leveled 190 charges against Yasick, among them 182 felonies.

Charges included 50 counts each of unlawful taking, theft by deception and receiving stolen property; 24 counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds; eight counts of fraudulent destruction of records; six counts of forgery and one count each of tampering with records or identification and tampering or fabricating physical evidence.
A new date has not been set yet for Yasick’s sentencing.

Bethany College embezzlement leads to firings, investigation in Pennsylvania

A Bethany College employee who admitted embezzling more than $500,000 from a check-cashing service and the school administrator who oversaw the operation have been fired, school officials said on Tuesday.
Officials at the small Christian school in West Virginia, about 50 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, also said they have closed the cash window — a place where employees and students could cash pay and personal checks — and replaced it with services provided by a bank.
Prosecutors are considering charges against the employee who was fired after admitting the thefts in mid-August, said Sven deJong, a senior vice president at the school, which has about 1,000 students.
The director of finance at the college, who was responsible for reconciling the account in question, also was fired, deJong said. “There is no evidence to indicate that this person was involved in any criminal activity,” said deJong, who would not identify either employee.
Law enforcement authorities have seized assets at the homes of two people in Ohio who are not affiliated with Bethany College, enhancing the likelihood of the school recovering a significant portion of the stolen funds, according to a letter school president Scott D. Miller sent to students and alumni on Tuesday.
The embezzlement came to light during a routine audit in May of the school's financial activities for the fiscal year which ended in June, deJong said. A more in-depth investigation was launched and Brooke County prosecutors were notified.
Prosecutors asked the school in writing not to release any information about the investigation at that time, deJong explained.
The employee who admitted stealing the money had been with the school for seven years, and the finance director had worked with the school for about 15 years, deJong said.

Philadelphia Man Charged With Embezzling Thousands From Montco Church

Authorities in Montgomery County have arrested a church bookkeeper, charging him with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the house of worship.

Police say James Moody was hired by the Victory Fellowship Church in Lower Providence Township in late 2010, but soon after he started working he directed the church’s payroll company to deposit money in his accounts, even though the church was paying him directly.

Over two years, police say, he stole more than $156,000 and is now facing theft and related charges

Montgomery County DA Risa Ferman says their investigation also found that Moody committed multiple counts of identity theft.

“It is our belief that Mr. Moody provided false information so that he could misdirect them and so that they would not find out about a prior conviction here in Montgomery County,” Ferman said today.

The DA says the 47-year-old Philadelphia man spent time behind bars in Montgomery County for stealing more than $21,000 while he was controller of the county’s nonprofit Special Olympics organization.

Moody is being held in lieu of $250,000 cash bai

King's College tightlipped on embezzlement case in Pennsylvania

They told their insurance carrier it was a "crime," but King's College officials wouldn't say Tuesday whether they ever alerted law enforcement after discovering an employee allegedly embezzled more than $57,000

The college remained mum on the topic Tuesday, after The Citizens' Voice reported on a lawsuit describing the alleged theft, and declined to answer questions about whether it sought a criminal investigation.

"The college will have no further comment on the pending suit," King's College spokesman John McAndrew said in an email.

The insurance carrier, Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. of America, filed a lawsuit last week claiming former King's College Human Resources Director Erin A. Savitski embezzled $57,399 by routinely adding extra cash to her paychecks and taking other unauthorized disbursements from college coffers.

The college fired Savitski, of Jackson Township, on Aug. 29, 2011, days after officials uncovered the fraud scheme, according to the lawsuit. The suit demands Savitski repay $52,399 to the insurance company for covering the college's losses and reimburse King's College for a $5,000 deductible it paid. College officials listed "crime" as the reason for submitting the insurance claim, according to a copy of the claim included with the lawsuit as an exhibit.

No charges have been filed.

The Luzerne County District Attorney's Office, the chief prosecuting agency in the county, confirmed Tuesday it had not received any reports about the alleged theft.

Officials with Wilkes-Barre police, the state police and state attorney general's office said they were checking to see if the alleged theft was ever reported to their respective agencies. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania declined comment.

Police investigate alleged Penn State fraternity embezzlement

A Penn State fraternity has discovered $90,000 is missing from its bank accounts while almost $38,000 in bills have not been paid, police records show.

The investigation has been going on for several months, the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa., reported Wednesday. The Theta Delta Chi fraternity turned over financial records to police in January after members reviewing bank statements for late 2012 noticed a low balance and found thousands of dollars had been withdrawn from accounts.

In an application for a search warrant to give them access to the fraternity's records at Citizens Bank, police said $57,000 was withdrawn from accounts under suspicious circumstances between August 2011 and December 2012. Fraternity members found more than $30,000 drained from accounts by unauthorized use of debit cards.

The financial review found $38,000 owed to the local Fraternity Purchasing Association had not been paid.

No arrests have been made. The newspaper said police would not comment Wednesday on the investigation and officers of the fraternity could not be reached

Seven sentenced in Bensalem School District theft ring in Pennsylvania

Four months after Bucks County authorities charged 20 people with being part of a decade long theft network that cost the Bensalem School District about $1 million, many of them will give back money and labor to the district under court order.

Seven of the 20 charged in the schemes, which included stealing buses and tires and clocking in no-show employees, were sentenced this week, according to Assistant District Attorney Robert James.

Ten more are to appear in court over the next several days, and the remaining three next month, James said.

The sentences for those who have pleaded include tens of thousands of dollars in restitution to the district, James said, and hundreds of hours of community service to be performed on school property, such as picking up trash or clearing weeds.

"Our focus of the investigation is to make sure everybody who is criminally liable for the theft on the taxpayers is held accountable," James said.

The charges detailed theft that continued for a decade. Facilities employees would order car parts, such as batteries, tires, or windshield wipers, then steal them and sell them to local businessmen, authorities said. Some in the group often met over breakfast, earning them the moniker "the Breakfast Club" from authorities.

The cover-up, authorities say, involved officials as high as the district's business manager, Jack Myers, a former Philadelphia School District employee who oversaw Bensalem's $100 million annual district budget. He is due in court next month, James said.

In February, Myers' attorney, Thomas Kenny, said he and Myers "categorically deny" that Myers knew about the thefts. A message left for Kenny Wednesday afternoon was not returned.

Authorities also alleged a separate scheme in which several employees who rarely showed up were clocked in and out of work by coworkers.

James called the schemes "brazen."

"It's amazing how it went on with nobody putting a stop to it," he said.

Two of those sentenced this week were ordered to prison but granted house arrest, James said. Anthony Ruggiero, a district employee who earned thousands of dollars in overtime he apparently did not work, will serve 10 to 23 months. Joseph Bound, a businessman who purchased stolen car parts from the district, will serve two to 23 months.

Ruggiero was also ordered to pay more than $40,000 in restitution, James said, and Bound, $90,000.

The others already sentenced - Martin Chappell, Elwyn Smith, Wilson Lopez, and Ronald Angle - owe at least 50


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