Bethel Park woman pleads to stealing money from junior cheerleaders
Bethel Park police Det. Fred Paganico said members of the board of directors from the Bethel Park Junior Cheerleaders first approached him about their concerns about money missing from the group’s accounts on July 9, 2013.
On March 20, former junior cheerleading president Mary Schneir, 42, entered a plea in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas to theft and access device fraud, Paganico said. She will spend 30 days in jail, followed by eight months on house arrest and probation.
The charges were filed Aug. 1, 2013, Paganico said.
“She had permission to use the (credit) card, but not to that extent,” Paganico said of the withdrawals from ATMs. In total, about $19,000 was removed from the group’s account.
Schneir described herself as a “shopaholic” and was “living beyond her means,” the detective said a day following Schneir’s sentencing. He was contacted by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office about the plea. However, he did not attend the court procedure.
The junior cheerleading group is not affiliated with the Bethel Park School District, said Vicki Flotta, district spokeswoman.