A woman allegedly stole almost $150,000 from a youth sports league and used the funds at various retailers, pharmacies and more places.
Carla O’Brien, a Pennsylvania mother and wife of a Pittsburgh Police lieutenant, is accused of stealing $147,408 from the Fox Chapel Baseball Softball Association (FCABSA) for personal use during her time as treasurer, according to the Bridgeville Signal Item and other area outlets.
On Thursday, March 27, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office charged the Indiana Township resident, 48, with theft, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and misapplication of entrusted property, per court records viewed by PEOPLE.
The FCABSA board of directors met with police about the alleged theft in October 2024, according to Pittsburgh outlet WPXI. The meeting came shortly after O’Brien allegedly admitted to board member that she took the money and “messed up big time” in September 2024, per the outlet. The member subsequently reported her to the president, who confronted her.
According to police, O’Brien tearfully told the FCABSA president she thought she had taken a far lower sum ($20,000 to $30,000, she estimated) and used some of it to pay for secret credit cards, which she kept secret from her husband, according to reports from WPXI, The Bridgeville Signal Item and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
At the time, she also returned just under $3,500 of the more than $147,000 she allegedly pocketed, WPXI reported.
Getty
Police said that in addition to paying off credit cards, O’Brien — who first assumed her role as FCABSA treasurer in 2019 — also used the stolen funds to make payments at retailers including Sephora, Amazon, Target, TJ Maxx, State Farm Insurance, Kohls, Nike and more, WPXI reported.
She also spent the money at other restaurants, pharmacies, concert venues and pet supply stories, per the outlet.
In a statement obtained by WPXI and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, O’Brien’s attorney, Phil DiLucente, said, “We are hopeful to have this matter resolved sooner rather than later.”
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on March 30, nor did DiLucente.
Addressing the alleged theft in a statement to PEOPLE, the FCABSA board said, “Our organization has been, and will continue to, cooperate with law enforcement related to this matter. We respect the legal process and trust the authorities to handle the matter appropriately. As this process is ongoing, we are unable to provide further comments and will continue to look for updates from the District Attorney’s Office.”
The board also added that “this situation does not impact FCABSA’s ability to provide the best youth baseball and softball experience possible.”
About 750 children, ages 6 to 14, play on FCABSA baseball and softball teams, according to figures reported by WPXI and The Bridgeville Signal Item.
O’Brien was released following her charges. A preliminary hearing is set for April 23.
Read the full article here
