Fire company treasurer accused of stealing $43K

D.A.: Volunteer official embezzled fire company funds for vacations, personal expenses

WEST POTTSGROVE » An Upper Providence woman is accused of embezzling more than $43,000 from the West End Fire Company in West Pottsgrove while she was serving as the volunteer treasurer and using the money to pay for vacations and personal expenses.

Kengra S. Taylor, 46, of the first block of Meadowview Lane in the Mont Clare section of Upper Providence, was arraigned before District Court Judge James P. Gallagher on charges of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, theft by unlawful taking, access device fraud, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and receiving stolen property in connection with alleged incidents that occurred between April and September 2019.

Gallagher set Taylor’s bail at $25,000 unsecured, and she was released to await her preliminary hearing, tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m., Sept. 17, in front of District Court Judge Scott T. Palladino of Pottstown.

With the charges, authorities alleged Taylor used the West End Fire Company’s funds to pay personal expenses during 87 transactions totaling $43,137. Taylor allegedly spent the stolen funds to pay for vacations, purchases and services at two Harley Davidson dealerships, car rentals, auto loans, and purchases at retail locations including Wine & Spirit stores, Costco and the U.S. Postal Service.

“This volunteer fire company

Kengra S. Taylor

serving its community was taken advantage of by one of its own members, who they trusted. It’s unfortunate, but sadly, not completely uncommon,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said on Wednesday.

“This theft serves as a reminder that non-profit organizations of any kind — whether it’s a fire company or a kids’ baseball team — need to have checks on any volunteer treasurer such as having a different volunteer reconcile the bank account each month or requiring two signatures on all checks. It’s the only way to be assured the organization’s money is safe,” Steele added.

Taylor’s arrest was announced on Wednesday by Steele and West Pottsgrove Police Chief Matthew Stofflet.

The investigation began in September 2019, when the president and the fire chief of the fire company went to police to report thefts from multiple fire company bank accounts, according to the criminal complaint filed by West Pottsgrove Detective Timothy Roeder. The fire company is located in the 100 block of Rice Street in the Stowe section of the township. Taylor, a member of the all-volunteer fire company and its treasurer, was solely responsible for the oversight of four bank accounts belonging to the fire company, detectives alleged. The investigation determined Taylor had opened an unauthorized credit card account in the name of the fire company, according to court papers.

“Through my investigation, I found multiple purchases were made at various stores using funds from the fire company bank accounts and or credit cards,” Roeder alleged in the arrest affidavit. “The fire company had no knowledge the account even existed nor did they approve the application for the account or any of the charges on the account.

“Taylor used the credit card to fund personal vacations, monthly payments on her residence, monthly payments on her personal vehicle and numerous other unauthorized purchases for her own personal gain without approval or knowledge of the fire company,” Roeder added.

The purchases included a July 14, 2019, credit card transaction for $553 at the Embassy Suites in Concord, N.C., rent payments totaling $2,357, eight purchases totaling $2,256 at Valley Forge Harley Davidson, and six transactions totaling $1,939 at Castaways RV Resort in Berlin, Md., according to the criminal complaint.

Detectives alleged Taylor transferred funds from the fire company’s bank accounts to the credit card account to pay the monthly fees and used additional funds from those accounts, including cash withdrawals, for personal gain.