Former Rankin manager Terri Lawson racked up nearly $10,000 in unauthorized purchases on a borough credit card, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
Court papers accuse her of using the First National Bank card more than 130 times between August and the start of December at restaurants, grocery stores, marijuana dispensaries, Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores and other establishments.
Lawson paid off about $5,600 of the balance during her tenure, but still owes $4,300, the complaint states.
Eastern Regional Mon Valley police charged her with two counts of theft and one count of fraud — all felonies — as well as misdemeanor counts of forgery and tampering with records.
They were alerted of the irregularities on Jan. 14 by interim manager Rebecca Vargo, according to the complaint. It’s not mentioned when Lawson left and Vargo took over.
Council President Glenn Ford and borough consultant Susan Hockenberry also noted suspicious handling of the credit card as the investigation continued. Hockenberry said she had been unsuccessfully pressing Lawson to explain unauthorized charges since May.
In July, Lawson supplied documentation claiming she cancelled the card, police said. These papers later turned out to be a “likely forgery,” the complaint continued, upon inspection by bank staff.
Lawson tried and failed to close the account at a First National Bank branch in November.
Ford was able to get the card deactivated in December.
During the course of their investigation, police say they also discovered Lawson unlawfully took $620 from the sewer fund and was in the process of approved unauthorized bonuses to two borough employees.
Lawson is awaiting a preliminary hearing. She did not have a lawyer listed in court documents.
Before the charges were filed, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury told TribLive news partner WTAE on Thursday she called the Pennsylvania Department of Education to audit the Woodland Hills School District, where Lawson is the board president.