Connellsville Twp. prepares for return of stolen money
CONNELLSVILLE TWP. – The repayment of more than $60,000 by a former township secretary convicted of felony theft charges will be used for the construction or purchase of an office building for the municipality. Township Supervisor Sally Stoots said Wednesday that while the money has yet to be received, officials have tentatively agreed to centralize its office to better serve the residents and utilize the $62,933 returned by Tammy Mader last week.
In May, Mader, 43, of Buttermore Boulevard pleaded guilty to third-degree felony charges of theft by deception and theft by receiving stolen property and agreed to make restitution to the township to avoid any prison time.
Fayette County Court of Common Pleas Judge Ralph Warman sentenced her last week to five years of probation.
“We need to do something,” said Stoots of problems caused by a lack of a central office. “Our (current) secretary, Leah Brothers, has looked at a few grant programs the township may be eligible to receive and with the returned money, I believe we can move forward with this long-needed project.”
Brothers currently conducts township business at her home, while monthly meetings are held at the Connellsville Township Volunteer Fire Dept. social hall.
Stoots speculated that the building project would not begin until the bulk of the funding was available.
The theft of funds surfaced in 2003 when it was discovered by township auditor Marlene Grenell that when as a township supervisor/secretary Mader had made attempts to cash a check made payable to the township without the required signature of a second supervisor, according to court documents.
In a fraud examination of the township financial records, it was revealed that 34 township checks were found that were payable to and endorsed by Mader for salary when she was only entitled to 24 paychecks per year.
A year-end wage document, prepared by Mader, indicated that she had received only 24 paychecks, according to the court documents.
The report said that Mader had overpaid herself a total of $25,945.78.
It was also found by auditors that no supporting documentation could be found for nine township checks marked as insurance payments totaling $18,400; rent payments totaling $2,642.46; pension contributions totaling $2,412.78; sewage enforcement totaling $763.37; telephone reimbursement, $508.29; and $930.50 in checks made payable to Mader’s husband for code enforcement and $6,910.59 in additional salary payments.
Rick Mader served as the township’s code enforcement officer prior to his death in 2003.
Stoots, meanwhile, said that the township has since established a more stringent checks and balance system to avoid any future misappropriation of funds, including the review by two supervisors of payments being made and thorough documentation of revenue and expenditures.
“I don’t sign any check unless it is made payable to a particular individual or company and there is an invoice attached to it,” said Stoots.
The township has also engaged a firm to oversee its payroll account, an action that has been beneficial to the municipal officials.
“They do all the payroll and take care of any tax forms that have to be filed,” said Stoots. “If there is a mistake, they correct it; if there is a late filing fee, they are responsible for paying it, not the township.”
Stoots declined to comment about Mader receiving probation instead of jail time for the theft.
“We are moving on,” she said.