PA Department Struggling as Theft Probe Continues

EXETER — As the borough’s volunteer fire department struggles to recover from suspected embezzlement, the former treasurer at the center of the investigation is in trouble with the law again.

Exeter police say Stephanie McNeil — already on probation for an unrelated theft — was recently caught stealing from the Dollar General store on Wyoming Avenue.

“There’s video,” Sgt. Michael Coolbaugh, who is serving as officer in charge, said when asked how McNeil was identified.

Coolbaugh filed a retail theft summary citation against McNeil, 34, last week at the office of Magisterial District Judge Joseph Carmody in West Pittston. He declined to list the items McNeil is accused of stealing and their value, just saying it was “not a lot.”

News of the alleged theft comes a year after authorities confirmed a criminal investigation was launched into the finances of Exeter Hose Company No. 1 and that McNeil is the chief suspect into missing money.

Donald Skursky, the new fire chief appointed after the scandal broke, said the amount of missing money is estimated to exceed $50,000. He said the department continues to patiently wait for answers.

“We keep wondering if there is a cover-up,” Skursky said. “All our evidence was turned over to the district attorney. She has a county detective working on it. I’ve gone there numerous times to ask them about it. They tell me they see a substantial amount of money missing. They said as soon as the audit is done they would let us know what’s going on.”

Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis on Tuesday said her office is awaiting completion of a forensic audit being conducted by the Department of State’s Bureau of Enforcement and Investigations.

At the time of the alleged theft, McNeil handled the volunteer fire company’s finances and her husband, Thomas Jr., was secretary of the department’s relief association. Thomas’ uncle, Rich, was the borough fire chief and his other uncle, John, was police chief.

As a result of the embezzlement probe, the fire company voted to expel McNeil and her husband, Skursky said. He said the company voted to suspend Rich McNeil for six months for unrelated reasons and he’s now classified as an inactive member.

“When they left, the power company wanted to shut off the electric. The water company discontinued our service. We hadn’t paid the mortgage in six months,” Skursky recalled.

Stephanie McNeil was ousted as treasurer after her October 2014 arrest on forgery and theft charges for stealing her mother-in-law’s credit card to make $551.95 in unauthorized purchases.

After she was removed, fire department members learned they owed nearly $20,000 to creditors and that she never deposited $3,000 in proceeds generated by the fire company’s popular annual barbecue chicken dinner, according to search warrant affidavits filed in the case.

Information obtained from those warrants determined that multiple unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals were conducted with a department bank card.

In Stephanie McNeil’s final months as treasurer, checks she wrote began to bounce and she had no explanation why the bank accounts for the department dwindled to next to nothing, search warrant records indicate. Jennifer Grochal, a close friend of Stephanie McNeil, told investigators that Stephanie McNeil had developed an addiction to powerful prescription painkillers and once asked her if she knew anyone who could sell her Percocet or Vicodin, the search warrants said.

“McNeil informed Grochal that she had $100 to spend,” police wrote in one search warrant application. “McNeil informed Grochal that she had obtained the money from hose company funds.”

At the time of last week’s retail theft, McNeil was still on probation for stealing from her mother-in-law. She was sentenced last July to two to 10 months in prison, followed by 12 months probation. Records show she was paroled Sept. 10 after serving about two months in jail.

Prior to that, McNeil served a short time in jail for a probation violation after pleading guilty to fraudulently obtaining assistance. In that case, she illegally received more than $14,000 in child care benefits by claiming to be a single mother.

Efforts to reach members of the McNeil family on Tuesday were not successful.

Skursky, who stepped down as fire chief in 2000, said he was urged to reclaim the job to ”straighten things out.” The alleged embezzlement has made that a tough job, he said.

“It has devastated the company,” Skursky said. “The fire department is having a hard financial time.”

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570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

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