DOYLESTOWN, Pa., March 12 (UPI) -- Pennsylvania prosecutors called a secretary's alleged theft of $642,741 to fuel a gambling habit "staggering."
Danette Marie Lewchick, 56, of Jamison, Pa., outside Philadelphia, was the financial secretary for the Warrington Community Ambulance Corps, a non-profit ambulance service operating in Bucks County.
Prosecutor Marc J. Furber said Lewchick began stealing from the group in 2008 and forged checks and used an ATM card to swipe the cash, Philly.com said Tuesday.
"[It's] staggering," Furber said. "Especially considering we're talking about a community organization that relies on public funds and donations."
She is charged with 11 counts of theft by deception and forgery.
Furber said an outside audit of the charity's finances turned up irregularities that prosecutors were asked to investigate, leading to Lewchick's arrest.
