Sep. 14—LEWISBURG — The former White Deer Fire Department treasurer who admitted to stealing $377,163 from the company was sentenced to 10 years probation Thursday.
Leann M. Fisher, 48, of New Columbia pleaded guilty in July to felony theft as part of a plea that would allow her to receive probation if she paid the fire company in full at the time of sentencing.
Union-Snyder County Judge Michael Piecuch was reluctant to accept the plea when he learned that the money was not repaid as of 1 p.m. when the hearing got underway Thursday in the Lewisburg courtroom filled with fire company members and Fisher's family and friends.
Defense attorney Rachel Wiest Benner said Fisher provided $200,000, which the attorney had placed in escrow in her possession, and asked for the end of the business day on Thursday for Fisher to obtain the remaining funds.
Before making any decision about the sentence, Piecuch heard from members of the fire company and White Deer Township Carroll Diefenbach about the difficulty they've faced as a result of Fisher's crime.
"We were really hoping this would end today," said Jim Messinger, deputy fire chief. "We agreed to the plea just because we need our money back."
He said Fisher was a trusted treasurer for nearly two decades until about a year ago when they were about to purchase a $780,000 fire truck and discovered they didn't have the money because of theft that took place over a four-year period.
"We became complacent and trusted the treasurer," Messinger said.
Although new procedures are in place to keep the fire company's finances secure, he said, the public is distrustful of the volunteers' ability to safeguard money and that has hindered fundraising efforts.
"It's a tremendous hardship," Fire Chief Kevin Koch said of the loss of the community's trust.
Diefenbach said township supervisors have been "inundated with calls" and complaints from residents about what they view as their lack of oversight of the fire company.
The township collects a fire tax, so Fisher's theft "affects every taxpayer in our township."
Under state sentencing guidelines, Fisher could have received a standard sentence of six to 14 months in county jail.
"I'm very much struggling with" imposing probation for a crime of this nature," said Piecuch who also expressed dismay that the full $377,173 owed by Fisher wasn't repaid as specified in the plea agreement.
Wiest Benner described Fisher as "extremely remorseful and ashamed" and said she was also cooperative with police following her arrest and is now in counseling.