HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a York County woman was sentenced today to 5 years’ probation by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo for theft of public funds.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Melissa Ann Arnold, age 46, was charged in February 2015 for stealing more than $300,000 from tax payments made by citizens to Spring Garden Township, York County during 2008 and 2009. Arnold was the Treasurer and Tax Collector for Spring Garden Township from 1995 until October 2009. Arnold was able to steal the tax payments because many of the checks were written out to her and, rather than deposit the checks into the Township’s account, she deposited them into her personal account.
Arnold pled guilty in March 2015.
York County submitted an insurance claim for the funds and received a significant repayment. Arnold entered into an agreement with the insurance company to pay back the full amount of the claim and has already paid almost $50,000 of the amount due.
Judge Rambo made payment of the balance, as well as an additional sum of almost $28,000 to Spring Garden Township for related losses, part of Arnold’s sentence in a restitution order.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police and Spring Garden Township Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy.
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