DA: Bucks County Worker Shredded Checks

An investigation by Bucks County authorities determined a county worker shredded more than a dozen checks that were supposed to be deposited.

District Attorney David Heckler confirmed to LevittownNow.com on Wednesday afternoon that no criminal charges would be filed against the employee who “destroyed rather than deposited” at least a dozen checks that should have been placed in county coffers by the female staff member in the Bucks County Office of the Treasurer. The staffer’s name was not released.

“I made the determination that if even ten cents of the public’s money had been diverted to the employee’s personal use, a criminal prosecution would be commenced,” Heckler said in a statement.

In a later phone interview, the district attorney said the investigation into the matter began in May after a employee in the treasurer’s office heard the woman shredding documents and discovered the remains of the checks.

Heckler blamed the woman’s actions on “some sort of meltdown.”

The checks were state-mandated 9-1-1 fee payments from telecommunication companies. Heckler said the checks were not worth more than a few thousand dollars and were all later reissued to the county.

“We are now satisfied that every last dime of the public’s money has been accounted for and the public made whole.  We are also satisfied that the employee did not divert any funds to her own use, making this a disciplinary rather than a criminal matter,” the district attorney said.

Rumors of the investigation by the Bucks County Detectives and Controller’s Office have swirled in Doylestown since summer.

Heckler said the employee under investigation gave detectives full access to her accounts and was forthcoming.

County spokesperson Julie Kelchner said she could not comment on whether the woman was disciplined by human resources. Heckler said he believed the woman would face some sort of internal discipline.

Treasurer William Snyder was not in the office for comment late Wednesday afternoon.