Newtown Supervisor, Tax Collector, Employees Among Four Charged With Theft

On Monday, May 9, G. Michael Green of the District Attorney's Office in Media announced the criminal charges filed against Board of Supervisors Chairman George Wood, 68, of Newtown Square; township tax collector Marie Louise Richards, 58, of Newtown Square; administrative assistant to the township manager Gwen Toyzer, 48, of Havertown–who has been connected to the original in the past several months; and assistant to the township manager George Clement Jr., 68, of Newtown Square.

"Each has been charged with theft by unlawful taking and theft of services," states the press release released by the DA's Office.

According to the affidavits, the total fees that were inappropriately used for personal use was $1,231.44.

The total breakdown of the total charges are as follows, according to each charged:

• Wood–A total of $21.45 shipment charges were made to the township FedEx account on June 29, 2010, to Anthony Cafagna in Philadelphia.
• Richards–A total of $32.66 shipment charges were made on two separate shipments. One on Dec. 13, 2006, to a relative in Florida for $13.47 and another on May 19, 2008, to the Bank of America in Wilmington, DE, for $19.19.
• Clement–A total of $90.76 shipment charges were made on four separate shipments. Those included $14.99 to the Cape May Court House in New Jersey on Nov. 16, 2005; $16.64 to the Cape May County Board of Taxation in New Jersey on April 27, 2006; $26.23 to a relative in North Carolina on October 17, 2008; and $32.90 to a relative in North Carolina on Jan. 7, 2009.
• Toyzer–A total of $1,086.57 shipment charges were made on 35 separate shipments that occurred between Oct. 6, 2006, to Jan. 21, 2011. There were 29 shipments made to the Customer Returns Department of Jewelry TV in Knoxville, TN, between these dates for a total of $922.73 shipment charges made. Six additional shipments were made which included: $16.09 to a family member in Massachusetts on Sept. 5, 2006; $17.79 to a family member in Massachusetts on Oct. 19, 2009; $10.18 to Kenneth Spiegel in Philadelphia on Nov. 25, 2009; $19.37 to Ann Taylor Loft-Online in Bolingbrook, IL, on Jan. 12, 2010; $16.17 to Robert Aereuson in Delaware on June 28, 2010; and $84.24 to Venus Swimwear in Jacksonville, FL, on July 9, 2010.

According to the affidavits, when confronted with the information above by the Delaware County DA's Office, Criminal Investigation Division and Special Investigations Unit, "all admitted the illegal use of the Newtown Township FedEx account, each making restitution in the amount of $95.45 [Clement], $85.28 [Richards], $1,367.24 [Toyzer], and $21.45 [Wood]."

On Feb. 24 of this year, Supervisor Joseph Catania met with Det. Thomas Worrilow and Det. Robert Lythgoe of the Delaware County DA's Office, Criminal Investigation Unit and Special Investigations Unit about the , according to the DA's Office.

On March 1, Chief Dennis Anderson met with Worrilow and Lythgoe and agreed to review the allegations made by Catania. On March 4, Anderson again met with the county detectives, who informed them that "it appeared as though other officials of the Township of Newtown were utilizing the same FedEx account for personal use," states the DA's Office.

It was informed on March 17 that JLP and Associates of Newtown Square will conduct audits of the township accounts. On May 6, JLP and Associates provided Lythgoe a copy of the audits, which "revealed that the following Newtown Township officials utilized the Newtown Township FedEx account for their own personal use," according to the DA's Office.

At the last meeting on April 11, the board carried a motion 3-1 to suspend Toyzer for 30 days without pay. 

A regularly scheduled meeting on Monday evening was canceled at 3 p.m. that afternoon due to the absence of both Wood and Supervisors Vice Chairwoman Linda Houldin, according to Catania.

However, an informal meeting was taken place as a public forum by Catania and Supervisor Dr. Ross Lambert in lieu of Monday's meeting. No official action or decisions can be made at the meeting.

Wood had previously mentioned at the that he would not be present at Monday's meeting–it was later mentioned that he was in St. John's Island–but assured the public he would participate in the meeting via phone by calling in on Monday night's meeting.

Township Manager Jim Sheldrake announced that Wood informed him he was going to be "out of phone range" for Monday's meeting and Houldin had informed him that she had an "emergency at her shore house." After the request of the public and Catania and Lambert, Sheldrake made a phone call to Houldin but was unavailable and "went straight to voicemail," said Sheldrake.

Towards the end of the informal meeting, Richards stood up and addressed the public to defend any proposed allegations made against her in the FedEx case.

"There was a $13 FedEx that came to the township in my name in January of 2010. I was never given a bill for it. I was completely unaware that that $13 was charged to the township," explained Richards. "What I would've thought would've happened was the minute the bill came in to the township, the bookkeeper would've come to me and said, 'Marie, here's a FedEx bill. It has your name on it.' And I'd say, 'Oh, jeez. Here's a check for $13.' But that never happened."

The only probable reason her name was "thrown into the mix" was because she was "doing her job as a Republican committeewoman," which she has been for over 20 years. As a committeewoman of the GOP for many years, Richards admitted there had been situations "many times over the years" where she had to "buckle down and support a candidate," who she wasn't "crazy about supporting and I did not support."

In case her name was brought up in the investigation, Richards wanted the public to be aware of her side of any allegations that would be made against her.

"I just wanted to let you know," addressed Richards to the public. "I've worked with some of you for many years, and your confidence in me as your tax collector has been very important to me."

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled at on May 26 at 9 a.m. before District Judge Leon Hunter III.