$246K In Montco Non-Profit Funds Used For Vacations, Taxes, Hot Tub, More: DA
The group’s treasurer is accused of using its money on a family Disney trip, credit card bills, country club dues, a hot tub, and more.
Max Bennett, Patch Staff
Posted Mon, Feb 9, 2026 at 10:10 am ET|Updated Mon, Feb 9, 2026 at 10:13 am ET|
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — A Pittsburgh-area man has been charged after authorities said he stole nearly a quarter million dollars from the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association based in Montgomery County near Philadelphia.
According to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Michael Fantuzzo, 40, of Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, stole more than $246,000 from the association, for which he volunteered as its treasurer. Fantuzzo is charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition and two counts of theft by deception.
The investigation into Fantuzzo began on Nov. 26, 2025, when the board of the association, which was headquartered in Plymouth Meeting and now in Bryn Mawr, notified the Montgomery County Detective Bureau of questionable withdrawals and payments from its bank account, as well as purchases made using the non-profit’s credit card.
Authorities said association funds were used in the following ways:
Barclay Credit Card payment, $21,575.09Chase Credit Card payment, $41,582.79GM Card payment, $26,184.68 Capital One payment, $35,430.54PayPal payments, $73,969.64. These payments totaled 56,247 and were made to Fantuzzo’s wife, authorities said.
Additionally, Fantuzzo is accused of using the association’s PNC credit card — which was associated with former association president Amy F. Gerney, but Fantuzzo was an authorized user — on the following purchases:
$1,425.16 airfare to Orlando for Fantuzo’s family;$2,019.22 for Disney World tickets. Fantuzzo, his wife, and their two children’s names actually appear on the credit card charge, authorities said;$7,247.50 for Twiddy vacation home rental in Duck, North Carolina. An agent from Twiddy confirmed the rental agreement was with Fantuzzo, the DA’s office said;$4,124.76 for country club membership to Hill Crest Country Club;$2,040 for limousine service from Red Carpet Limousine;$10,513.49 for hot tub installation by Valley Pool & Spa at Fantuzzo’s home. An invoice confirmed the purchase and installation at Fantuzzo’s home, the DA’s office said;and $5,460.53 for Pantuzzo’s local and county property taxes. Receipts from Lower Burrell Township and Westmoreland County confirmed payment from the association account by Pantuzzo for his personal property taxes.
In total, the loss was $246,708.03, authorities said, with Fantuzzo depleting the association’s entire savings account.
Most of the unauthorized withdrawals occurred between 2021 and 2024, when the association’s office was located in Montgomery County.
The association’s new board of directors was elected in early 2025, and they inherited an organization that seemed to be experiencing severe financial distress, the DA’s office said. Debts exceeded assets, and important contracts were terminated due to inability to pay them.
When the board began reviewing their financial records, they saw many withdrawals and payments from the accounts that appeared questionable.
The current board’s vice president and the current treasurer documented an analysis of questionable payments from the organization’s PNC checking account.
Records from the PNC savings account show that in January 2021, the account’s balance was $264,101.22. After numerous transfers to the association’s checking account, and payments to the business credit card, the balance on the savings account was zero on Oct. 31, 2024.
The board questioned Fantuzzo regarding the unauthorized payments, and he admitted to them that he used the funds for personal expenses totaling $90,000, although he claimed that it was done accidentally, authorities said.
Fantuzzo turned himself in to Montgomery County Detectives on Friday and was released on $100,000 unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17.