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By Richard L. Gaw
Staff Writer
Kennett Dating Event 2019
After an eight-month investigation, the Chester CountyDistrict Attorney's Office announced that they arrested former Kennett TownshipManager Lisa Moore for embezzling a total of $3,249,453 from the township,dating back to 2013. She has been charged with felony theft, forgery, computercrimes and related offenses.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan informed the Chester County Press that Moore is nowfree and awaiting a preliminary hearing, after posting an unsecured bail in theamount of $500,000, as set by Magisterial Court Judge Albert Iacocca.
In a press release issued by the District Attorney's Office onthe morning of Dec. 10, Moore, a once-prominent figure in local politics andthe Kennett community, created her own personal parlor game of trickery withtownship funds that were intended to be used for employee benefits, thetownship's police department, land preservation and several other townshipoperations.
The release further stated that Moore used the stolen money topay for extravagant personal expenses. She traveled to countries like Italy andFrance, and to Las Vegas. She spent township money at clothing boutiques suchas Michael Kors, Gucci and Chanel. She spent township money on family andfriends.
Moore, 46, was hired by the township in 1997 and was promotedto township manager in 2010, giving her oversight and access to virtually allof the township's financial operations. The investigation revealed that Moorehad engaged in several long-time, multi-pronged schemes to steal money from thetownship, nearly from the time of her promotion. For instance, Moore had moneypaid directly to herself, but never recorded the disbursements in thetownship's records. On other occasions, she would have the money paid toherself, but would record the payments as being made to known and normalvendors who did business with the township.
A chart created by the District Attorney's Office indicatesthat the dollar amounts associated with Moore's thefts increased over time,accumulated through unauthorized payroll payments; payments to her personalcredit card; unauthorized payments to her retirement fund; personal use of thetownship's credit card; and other unauthorized disbursements:
Year Total Per Year
2013 $15,243
2014 $36,437
2015 $62,144
Kennett Dating Events
2016 $485,702
2017 $1,101,646
2018 $1,165,767
2019 $382,514
Total Amount $3,249,453
Moore also rewarded herself with higher salaries. She had anannual salary of between $120,000 and $130,000 for the township, but managed toraise her salary regularly to over $200,000 by claiming she worked over 3,000hours per year. In 2017, she booked herself for working 3,612 hours—or anaverage of 10 hours a day for 365 consecutive days – which led to rewardingherself a salary of $295,000 for these fabricated work hours.
At one time, the township required two signatures for certainchecks – one by Moore and the other by a township supervisor – but Mooreside-stepped a second signature by using a stamp with the signature of one ofthe supervisors. When she needed checks paid to herself or her credit cardaccounts, she would write the check, sign it herself and then use the stampsignature of the supervisor.
Moore used a township credit card issued in her name to rackup unauthorized purchases that totaled nearly $700,000. She also engaged inacts of money laundering – transferring money from one township account toanother – giving the appearance of normal transactions. She would then makeanother transfer, secretly moving the money from a second township account toone of her own accounts.
Moore even concocted a scheme that bilked the taxpayers anadditional $50,000 a year, by pretending to be married to Brian Gore which,under township policy, extends full medical benefits to the spouse of atownship employee.
She also manipulated the township's retirement savings plan tosteal money from the township. Between 2014 and 2019, Moore was entitled to$33,000 in payments for retirement savings, but directed over $945,000 to herE*Trade account. In 2018, she was entitled to a payment of $5,000 from thetownship to this savings account, but Moore awarded herself over $353,000 inpayments, a manipulation of funds that cost township taxpayers over $347,000 inlost funds during 2018.
While she continued to weave a complex web of fraudulence andthievery, Moore invented several methods of concealing her fraudulentactivities. For example, investigators discovered a document supposedly fromthe township's auditor, that dated back to Dec. 31, 2012, that stated thatMoore was owed 10,025 hours of sick/vacation and 3,052 hours of comp time.
The intricate system that Moore had created over the past sixyears began to unravel this past April, when the township police departmentreceived a report from the Capital One Fraud Department related to moneytransfers Moore had made. After an initial review, the investigation was turnedover to the District Attorney's Office, who was assisted by Marcum, LLP, aforensic accounting firm hired by the township, in discovering the extent ofMoore's complex fraud schemes.
When the investigation began, Moore was on vacation in France.She was dismissed form her position at the township in May.
“This case is all about greed,” Chester County DistrictAttorney Tom Hogan said in the release. “The defendant was well-compensated,with an annual salary of over $100,000. But she decided to live the high life,funded by the taxpayers of Kennett Township. There is no excuse for such ablatant abuse of a position of trust.”
From the time word had reached the Kennett Township communityin early May that the township was entering into a dual investigation with theDistrict Attorney's Office and a forensic auditor, interest in learning thedetails of the case was both rapid and rising with each speck of news and everyrumor. As the investigations continued, however, a common sentiment expressedby many was that the course of these investigations – as shared at townshipmeetings – was far too slow.
Hogan told the ChesterCounty Press that typically, investigations into possible fraud takebetween 18 months and two years.
“Given the concerns expressed by the community to expedite andconclude our investigation, we were able to move the process along morequickly,” Hogan said. “It was an extraordinary effort on behalf of those whoconducted this investigation to complete it in a timely fashion.”
Kennett Township Board of Supervisors’ Chairman ScudderStevens expressed his dismay over the findings of the investigation.
“I am finally glad it is now all out in the open,” he said. “Itis a tragedy that this was conducted by someone who was at the top of her professionalgame, who was so loved and respected by so many people.
“[Lisa Moore] let us down in so many ways. She deceived us,and then took advantage of us,” Stevens added. “It is a very sad day, but it isalso a very good day, because at last, these issues can be confronted.
Kennett Township will host a town hall meeting related to theinvestigations on Dec. 17, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Red Clay Room in KennettSquare. Those in attendance will include representatives from the township, a representativefrom the District Attorney’s Office, a collections attorney for the township anda representative from Marcum, LLP.
The Chester County Presswill continue to report on the findings of this investigation.
To contact Staff WriterRichard L. Gaw, email [email protected].