The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

August 15, 2012

Police: Ex-prez stole league’s money

By Joy Leiker Herald Staff Writer

SHARON — The former president of the Sharon Little League is charged with stealing more than $5,000 from the league’s bank account to pay off gambling debts.

When other Little League leaders last month confronted Dion A. Dellibovi, 43, of 1089 Pearl St., Sharon, about the missing money, he admitted he had taken it, police said. He resigned from the League and asked for time to repay the debt.

Dellibovi, a two-time candidate for Sharon City Council – most recently in 2009, faces felony charges of theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud and a misdemeanor charge of misapplication of entrusted property.

According to court papers, the Little League’s bank statements were mailed to Dellibovi’s home, and when he would turn them over to the League’s treasurer, Linda Volpe, there were pages missing and unauthorized cash withdrawals using the account’s ATM card. Volpe said she questioned Dellibovi and “he at first claimed he had used the wrong card,” and had meant to use his personal ATM card, but had mistakenly used the League’s ATM card.

In the beginning, Volpe took Dellibovi at his word. She told police “she has been friends with the defendant for many years and took him on his word it was an honest mistake and (that) he would reimburse the money.”

But there were several more transactions the next month. Volpe questioned Dellibovi again, and he told her he had paid cash for work being done on one of the League’s building. Volpe relinquished Dellibovi’s ATM card.

She later learned Dellibovi had withdrawn cash – $2,450 – from the League’s account at the bank counter. Dellibovi told Volpe he had received a personal check that his bank wouldn’t cash, so he deposited the $3,450 check into the League’s account, withdrew most of it as cash and left the $1,000 as a way to repay the League for his previous unauthorized ATM transactions.

When Volpe went to the bank and asked for a copy of the check, she learned it was actually an insurance claim payment to the League for property damage.

The treasurer confronted Dellibovi again, and this time he told Volpe that it was his “severance pay,” and that Volpe and her husband could split the rest.

In all, Dellibovi is accused of taking $5,157. League officials told police Dellibovi repaid that amount.

Volpe resigned and told other League officials that “she was not dealing with this anymore.” She turned over the League’s financials to former treasurer Melinda Nichols, who then audited the books.

Nichols told police she found about two dozen cash withdrawals from ATM machines between Nov. 21, 2011, and March 5. She said most of those withdrawals were made at the ATM inside the Slovak Home on Spearman Avenue in Farrell. Nichols said the withdrawals stopped after Dellibovi’s ATM card was relinquished. In addition, she found unauthorized purchases made with the League’s card, including alcohol, shoes and a baseball glove.

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