Treasurer accused of stealing $170k from two South Fayette youth sports groups

The treasurer for two youth sports associations in South Fayette is accused of stealing more than $170,000 from the organizations over a two-year period.
Lisa Michell Howrylchak was charged last week with more than a dozen felony forgery counts and numerous other charges in connection with her alleged theft of money from the two associations and manipulation of financial records.
According to court documents, Howrylchak is accused of stealing $81,828 from South Fayette Youth Lacrosse Association and another $88,361 from the South Fayette Baseball and Softball Association.
Detectives with the Allegheny County district attorney’s office were alerted to the situation in April when the South Fayette Youth Lacrosse Association’s leadership contacted township police after noticing issues with the treasurer’s work in recent months. Some of the problems with Howrylchak, who began serving as treasurer in May 2021, was that she no longer was writing checks on a timely basis or providing reports to the board at meetings.
When the board’s vice president began reviewing financial reports, she noticed a donation from her husband’s social club was not included, prompting her to contact Howrylchak about the contribution not appearing in the ledger, although the treasurer gave conflicting statements about the situation, according to court documents.
The vice president then began looking through the financial records, which she noticed had been drained from nearly $40,000 in recent years to just $8,000. Further review indicated that the association’s account with PNC Bank had been closed in August 2022 without the board’s knowledge, but Howrylchak had secretly opened a personal account with another bank in July 2021, where she made deposits with money intended for the association, investigators said.
A review of two years’ worth of financial records showed that Howrylchak had been “using the account for her own personal benefit,” which included ATM withdrawals and the use of a debit card that had not been issued by the board, according to court documents. A $13,000 wire transfer had gone to a mortgage company, while internet banking payments went to a local car dealership and a paintball game complex. Meanwhile, payments that the association should have made to a local sports complex were delinquent and other checks were issued but never cashed, investigators said.
An audit of the financial records showed a laundry list of secret spending, along with significant deviations from what Howrylchak was presenting to the board in her treasurer’s report and what was actually in the association’s bank account, according to court documents.
In May, investigators spoke to the South Fayette Athletic Association, which is the umbrella organization for the township’s youth sports groups, and officials there suggested the detectives meet with South Fayette Baseball and Softball Association leadership.
Howrylchak began working as treasurer for the baseball and softball association in November 2021 and was tasked with issuing checks, providing financial statements to the board, completing tax records and overseeing concession stand sales. She had an approved signature card for the organization’s bank account as treasurer, but the acting president at the time did not, as would be required for the two-person check signing protocol, according to court documents.
Officials with that youth sports association expected to have more than $100,000 in their account, but financial records showed Howrylchak had drained it by making 77 transactions totaling $83,250, police said.
Howrylchak allegedly told detectives during a July 18 interview that she began using the baseball and softball association’s account for her personal use in spring 2022, and then things began to “snowball” from there. Police said she admitted to doctoring the bank statements to conceal the theft, and estimated she took about $87,000 from that association. Investigators wrote in court documents that Howrylchak told them that she took money “out of desperation, and she is sick about it.”
Shortly after Howrylchak was charged on July 25, the South Fayette Baseball and Softball Association issued a statement on its Facebook page that the organization was aiding authorities in the investigation and trying to recoup money lost from its account.
“During the investigation, the DA’s Office determined that Lisa provided falsified bank statements and other financial records to the Board to conceal steps she took to enrich herself with association monies,” the association’s statement read. “Realizing the severity of the situation, the Board immediately removed Lisa from her position and took the necessary steps to secure all remaining SFBSA funds.”
Howrylchak was removed as treasurer from the lacrosse organization in April, while it is believed she was dismissed from her role with the baseball and softball association in May.
“Subsequently, the Board instituted numerous security measures to prevent future occurrences,” the baseball and softball association wrote in its Facebook post. “Additionally, the Board is currently evaluating all options available to recoup the funds that were misappropriated.”
In all, investigators allege Howrylchak took $170,189 from the two associations.
Her defense attorney, Justin Ketchel, did not respond to a phone message seeking comment.
Howrylchak, 50, of South Fayette, is charged with multiple counts of forgery, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, access device fraud, unlawful use of a computer, tampering with records and misapplication of entrusted property. She is free on $75,000 unsecured bond while awaiting her preliminary hearing before District Judge Maureen McGraw-Desmet at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 11.