Thornbury official charged with theft

Thornbury Township officials were shocked when they received three voicemails the day after Christmas from the boyfriend of their secretary/treasurer, letting them know she was embezzling township funds.

Robert James Hance had a falling-out with Deborah Perry, before he made the calls, authorities said. His tip uncovered an alleged seven-year-long practice by Perry of using township money for her personal expenses, and led to a warrant for his own arrest. Hance was using township credit cards that Perry had provided him for Home Depot and gas purchases.

Yesterday, Perry, 51, of Ridley Park, was charged with theft, criminal conspiracy, and related crimes. She is accused of embezzling about $250,000 in township funds. She left the Media courthouse in handcuffs and was taken to district court in Glen Mills, where bail was set at $250,000. Perry later was transferred to the Delaware County prison.

County officials have issued an arrest warrant for Hance, 47, of Chester. He is facing theft, criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property and related charges.

According to court documents, Hance called the township late on Dec. 26 and early on Dec. 27 and left three messages saying Perry had been using township credit cards. After finding financial discrepancies, the township contacted the district attorney's office.

Perry was dismissed in late December from her $50,000-a-year job.

An investigation found that over seven years Perry had written hundreds of unauthorized checks, used township credit cards for personal expenses, filed false expense reports, and doubled her mileage reimbursements, according to court documents. In addition, she allegedly gave Hance township credit cards for his personal use.

Perry wrote about $3,400 in checks to Acme Markets, bought $431 in knitting and crocheting books and magazines, purchased more than $11,000 in household items, and wrote out more than $43,000 to fictitious landscaping companies in some of her transactions.

The township's auditors had discovered none of the false transactions.

Township manager Jeffrey T. Seagraves said changes have been made in the township's accounting practices. Township solicitor Robert Anderman added that "as of now, we have a township secretary and a town treasurer." He said that the treasurer job is outsourced to an accounting firm and that the secretary no longer handles finances.

Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green said this case should serve as an "alert to municipalities across the commonwealth."

"You have to divide the accounting functions," Green said. "You can't have a single individual in charge."

The case resembles other recent cases in Delaware County.

In February, Elizabeth Greenawalt, a secretary with a Marcus Hook-based company, was charged with stealing more than $900,000.

In March, a former Ridley School district employee, Carol Ackley, was sentenced to four to 20 years in prison for stealing more than $570,000 intended for retired district workers' health care.

Former Southeast Delco School District food-service manager Mary Arnold was charged in April 2007 with pocketing $287,361 in cafeteria lunch receipts.

In December, former Folcroft District Court office manager Lisa Marie Valletti pleaded guilty to taking $2,700 in parking-ticket revenue.

In December 2006, former Bethel Township secretary Forrest Finlay-Rabchuk was sentenced to nine months in Delaware County prison for stealing $413,000 in township funds.