Ex-Forest City secretary Susan Coleman (pictured entering Gibson police barracks in August 2010) pleaded guilty to theft charges Friday in Susquehanna County Court. STAFF PHOTO/STACI WILSON
BY STACI WILSON
A former Forest City borough secretary admitted Friday in Susquehanna County Court to taking over $136,720 in taxpayer funds over a 10 year time span.
Susan Coleman, 51, of Vandling, pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge and could be sentenced to serve up to seven years in prison.
According to District Attorney Jason Legg, Coleman issued duplicate checks to herself, misused borough credit cards and funds paid to Forest City by Vandling for police coverage were misappropriated by the secretary.
Legg said Forest City officials had reported that Coleman also owed the borough about $5,600 the municipality had paid in federal employment tax withholdings.
Forest City council members met with state police in May 2010 after an audit and inspection of borough financial records indicated Coleman had stolen money from the borough since 2001 by issuing herself unauthorized checks.
She was terminated from the Forest City secretary position in May 2010.
Coleman also served as the secretary for Vandling at the time and is reportedly no longer employed there.
Forest City has already recovered about $88,000 of the amount owed by Coleman, Legg said, leaving about $28,000 in unpaid restitution.
The district attorney has also agreed to allow Coleman to serve any jail time in a county facility.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21.
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