MIFFLINTOWN — A Thompsontown woman who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from thefts from Walker Township Home and School Association and the Mexico Little League Association was sentenced Tuesday to serve 10 months to two years, less a day, in jail.
In addition, Joy L. Renninger, 43, will be on probation for the next six years, and has been ordered by the court to repay the above organizations more than $17,000 restitution. She also has been ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
Renninger was accused of stealing $17,000 from the Walker Township Home and School Association, and more than $1,300 from the Mexico Little League Association.
Renninger was serving as treasurer of both organizations when the thefts occurred, police said.
In a third case, filed simultaneously with the other two, police allege Renninger stole more than $1,000 from the checking account of a McAlisterville woman in August 2006 by using the woman’s ATM card without her permission.
Police said Renninger became treasurer of the home and school association in April 2004, at which time an audit was performed, which showed the books to be in order.
The alleged thefts did not come to light until early 2006, when a publishing company, hired to print a cookbook for a fundraiser, said it had not been paid, even though Renninger told the association that the company had been paid in full, court documents indicate.
The principal of Walker Elementary, Joe Stroup, contacted police and told them he had reviewed Renninger’s ledger, police said.
According to the ledger, Renninger reported more than $8,000 in the association’s account, with more than $7,000 in bills paid, police said.
He later learned that there was no $8,000 in the account and none of the $7,000 in bills were paid, police said.
The last treasurer’s report submitted by Renninger, dated Feb. 1, 2006, shows an available balance of $8,132.58, police said. The actual ledger balance for the account is $115.28, according to court documents.
According to court documents, when the Mexico Little League found out about the missing money at Walker Township Elementary School, it became aware of money missing from its accounts, of which Renninger also was treasurer.
Renninger was asked to resign as treasurer, at which time the organization began to notice “inconsistencies” in its finances, according to court documents.
The Little League team “was able to pick out a couple of the peculiar purchases and reimbursements,” police said. Some of these consisted of concession stand reimbursements to Renninger in December, long after the season was over, police said.
Renninger remains in the Mifflin County Correctional Facility. She is represented by John B. Dougherty.
