A Westmoreland County judge reduced bail Monday for former South Greensburg fire Chief Matthew White, potentially clearing the way for his release as he awaits trial on charges he stole $170,000 from the volunteer fire department.
Police in February charged Matthew Thomas White, 49, of Hempfield, with one felony count of theft. Investigators allege that since 2023, White transferred large sums of money from department coffers into his personal bank accounts to fuel a gambling addiction.
White was arrested earlier this year in South Carolina and has been held in Westmoreland County Prison without bond since his return to Pennsylvania more than two months ago.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani ordered White to post a $5,000 unsecured bond. As a condition of his release, White must remain under house arrest and undergo mental health treatment while awaiting trial.
White told the judge he intends to live with family members, including a former police officer and a current state trooper, once he is released. He said he plans to begin addressing a longstanding gambling addiction.
“My intention is that when I am out, I will ban myself from the casinos and the gambling sites so there won’t be these issues,” White said.
White is scheduled to appear Tuesday morning before District Judge Rebecca Tyburski for a preliminary hearing in a separate case. In that matter, he is accused stealing more than $290,000 from the St. Clair Cemetery Association in Hempfield, where he served as superintendent.
Police said White’s role at the cemetery included overseeing payroll, groundskeeping and employees. He is currently being held in lieu of $100,000 bond in the cemetery case.