By MARISSA DECHANT – Staff writer
More details have emerged in court documents that spell out the case against a Franklin woman accused of embezzling more than $6,000 from the Central Elementary School PTO fund.
Cynthia DeLuca, 56, stole $6,348 in funds during the course of the 2016-17 school year, according to a criminal complaint filed by Franklin police through District Judge Matthew Kirtland’s office.
On Aug. 28, Central Elementary principal Gary Canfora called Franklin police to report that DeLuca, the treasurer of the school’s PTO, had been suspected of stealing money from the fund, the complaint said.
Police received written statements from Canfora and Bridget Wood, the PTO president, the complaint said.
DeLuca admitted to stealing the money during a police interview on Sept. 7, the complaint said.
DeLuca explained that she made withdrawals from the PTO account, took money from fundraisers and stole cash, the complaint said.
Wood told to police that all the reported balances of the PTO accounts made by DeLuca were correct, but there were no balances in the accounts, the complaint said.
DeLuca had previously reported paying two bills for $1,700 and $1,100 each, but it was found the bills had not been paid, the complaint said.
There was also a $784 school trip to the Barrow-Civic Theatre that the theater had paid for, the complaint said.
DeLuca is facing a felony count of theft by unlawful taking.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled Wednesday in Central Court.
