Katherine Paprocka, a former administrator for the Penn Christian Academy, has been charged with several felony theft charges. The disgraced ex-school administrator is accused of stealing over $579,000 from the said East Norriton Christian school.
Details of Paprocka's Case
According to a report by Main Line Times & Suburban, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele of Montgomery County and Police Chief Phil Pulaski of East Norriton Township announced on Wednesday Paprocka's arrest.
The 36-year-old ex-senior administrator worked for the school between July 2020 and December 2021, during which she allegedly committed the theft of school funds.
The news outlet disclosed that an unnamed benefactor for the Penn Christian Academy/East Norriton (PCA/EN) school informed them about Paprocka's alleged fund embezzlement and co-mingling. The informant reportedly provided copies of documents that purportedly show dubious transactions involving the suspect.
The records depicted payments from four lenders to Penn Christian Academy, the loan documents of which Paprocka electronically signed as its executive director and senior administrator. The documents also showed the latter claiming to the school's owner.
This directly contrasts stature as a nonprofit educational institution. This means that Peen Christian Academy is not supposed to have ownership status.
Additional information showed that Paprocka's credit card was paid over $62,000, which, when pressed by the school for supporting documents, she only managed to account for around $12,000 in official school expenses.
Accordingly, the local police and the district attorney's office launched a probe into the allegations based on the informant's tip. Ultimately, East Norriton law enforcement agencies found that Paprocka successfully siphoned off $579,651.89 from Penn Christian Academy's coffers, payroll companies, and school employees.
The news outlet said investigators used information from school records, bank details, and credit card documents. They also did interviews that allowed them to gain a detailed and clear picture of Paprocka's scheme.
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Other Case Details
Paprocak's successful theft of large amounts involved her falsifying signatures and assuming the identities of several PCA/En volunteers and employees. She also allegedly applied for and received credit cards named for the school's workers without them knowing or consenting to it.
She also misrepresented herself by claiming to be the school's majority owner, which allowed her to apply for and secure payroll funds. Paprocka likewise wrongly used the school's money, amounting to several hundred thousand dollars.
"This nonprofit school was defrauded and taken advantage of by someone they trusted as an administrator. This is a reminder that every nonprofit organization needs to have checks on any employee who has access to its funds so more than one person has control and oversight of the monetary activity. It's the only way to be assured the organization's money is safe," Main Line Times & Suburban quoted District Attorney Steele saying.
The news outlet said investigators discovered the suspect funded her family's trips to Florida, New York, and London using stolen money. She also allegedly used the money she stole to pay for car rentals, clothing, and meals at restaurants. Additionally, Paprocka reportedly paid for her in-vitro fertilization medical treatments and stays at rental properties.
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