Former Pittsburgh Mercy employee convicted in Tickets for Kids fraud scheme
Pennsylvania —
The Pennsylvania Attorney General announced a guilty verdict in a scam involving tickets meant for local at-risk children.
On Tuesday, a judge convicted Ramona Wilkes, 65, of corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, deceptive business practices, and criminal use of a communication facility. All are felonies.
Wilkes was sentenced to five years’ probation, with the first year on house arrest, and is ordered to pay $57,346.65 in restitution to Pittsburgh-based charity, Tickets for Kids.
Officials said Wilkes used her position as an employee with the nonprofit organization Pittsburgh Mercy to obtain tickets from Tickets for Kids.
The tickets were intended to be given to children served by Pittsburgh Mercy, but instead, Wilkes kept the tickets for herself and her co-conspirators to resell for profit or use personally.
“Tickets for Kids exists to create opportunities for children who otherwise might never experience a concert, sporting event or other special outing. Instead of helping fulfill that mission, this defendant exploited it for personal gain,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a release. “This verdict holds her accountable, and the restitution ordered will help the charity continue serving the children who need it most.”