The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 5, 2009

UPDATE: Ex-school secretary gets probation for theft from activity, boosters funds

By Monica Pryts

SHARON — A former Sharon City School District secretary accused of stealing $10,500 in student activity and wrestling booster club money was sentenced Friday to 2 years’ probation.

Brenda L. Connelly, 46, Spartanburg, S.C., formerly of Ormond Avenue, Sharon, pleaded no contest Oct. 13 to one consolidated count of forgery before Mercer County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas R. Dobson.

A no contest plea is considered a guilty plea for sentencing purposes in Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Connelly has already paid back the money to the school district and while trust was violated, she has no prior criminal record, her attorney David Betras of Youngstown, told Dobson.

She was under pressure to pay the bills for student activities and wrestling booster club expenses and it was “stupid” of her to forge names to the checks.

According to court documents and Herald files, Mrs. Connelly resigned in January after 8èyears as a high school secretary when irregularities were found last fall with those two accounts.

Mrs. Connelly stole three checks from the activities account, used the principal’s signature stamps without permission and deposited $10,500 into accounts for the wrestling club, of which she was the treasurer.

“She is the most remorseful defendant I’ve represented in 25 years. She’s a mess,” Betras said, standing next to a sobbing Mrs. Connelly.

She’s depressed, has “beat herself up,” felt publicly ridiculed and had to leave the area. She was fired from a job in South Carolina because of this case, Betras said.

Mrs. Connelly didn’t actually pocket any of the money in question; she forged signatures to pay bills on behalf of the school, he said.

“I have humiliated myself. This is not who I am,” she said.

She is “truly sorry” to everyone and said she’d never hurt the students, whom she loves like they’re her own children, she said. She left her family behind for two jobs in South Carolina and “worked her tail off” for eight months to pay back the money.

Mrs. Connelly said everything was on her shoulders when it came to making sure the bills were paid and things kept getting more expensive while available funds were decreasing.

There seemed to be “no limit” with expenses when the wrestlers had to travel. The boosters club often took the boys out to eat, letting them order whatever they wanted, she said.

She hates that people think badly of her now and the thought “kills her inside.”

Sharon police have said when Mrs. Connelly turned over the checks and ledgers, 27 checks were missing and nothing noted about where they went, so it was hard to determine how much money she stole.

Dobson said it was a difficult case because he didn’t have all the facts nor did Mrs. Connelly clearly explain why she did what she did.

During her 2 years’ probation, she can’t handle any money in any job she has and needs permission to travel, even to return to South Carolina since the probation order stems from Pennsylvania, Dobson said.

Betras argued about Mrs. Connelly not being able to return home Friday, and Dobson said she could go to jail instead.

She also is to serve 500 hours of community service.

Assistant District Attorney William J. Moder III had asked Dobson to sentence Mrs. Connelly to an unspecified amount of jail time because she breached the public’s trust and mishandled money meant for students.

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