Lisa Herbinko, the former treasurer of the Reading Education Association (REA), has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft, receiving stolen property, and tampering with records. Herbinko admitted to stealing approximately $400,000 from the REA's funds and depositing them into her personal bank account and a juvenile relative's account.
The investigation into Herbinko's activities began in September 2022 when REA representatives reported missing funds from their accounts. A financial audit revealed that Herbinko had been making unauthorized withdrawals from REA accounts since 2014. In addition to the theft, Herbinko was found to have falsely reported tax payments, filed fake treasurer reports, and failed to pay the REA's state and federal taxes.
Upon being confronted by the REA President, Herbinko admitted to the theft and resigned from her position in September 2022. She offered to repay the stolen money, but to date, none of the funds have been returned to the REA.
Herbinko's sentencing has been deferred until August 14th. The case has drawn attention from the local community, with REA members attending the court hearing in matching red shirts. Both Herbinko's attorney and Berks County District Attorney John Adams have declined to comment until after the sentencing.(standardspeaker.com, wfmz.com, berksweekly.com)