Western Pennsylvania city manager, employee allegedly stole more than $800K in city funds

DUBOIS, Pa. — Suspended DuBois City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio has been federally indicted for conspiring to divert and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars of public funds for his personal expenses.

According to the Department of Justice, Suplizio, 63, and Roberta Shaffer, 58, a former city employee, were arrested Thursday.

>>> Western Pennsylvania city manager facing new charges for allegedly stealing public funds

Officials said Suplizio and Shaffer used the city’s tax identification number to make secret bank accounts into which they diverted city money since as early as 2008. The accounts were given around $60,000 in annual administrative fees from the city’s waste management contract.

“As alleged, the suspects abused their public positions and betrayed the public’s trust all while lining their own pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI will always root out any and all forms of public corruption. We remain committed to ensuring those who violate the public’s sacred trust are held accountable.”

Officials also said Suplizio and Shaffer would withdraw large amounts of money from the accounts, wrote checks to themselves and others and obtained cashier’s checks with themselves as payees. These transactions totaled more than $350,000.

Suplizio and Shaffer also allegedly spent more than $450,000 from the bank accounts toward payments on Suplizio’s personal credit card, which he used to pay for vacations, utility bills for his house, department store purchases, jewelry store purchases and more.

“Herm Suplizio allegedly funneled city money into secret bank accounts that he and Shaffer controlled and that he could use for his personal benefit, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal credit card payments,” United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan said. “Our communities entrust public officials like Suplizio with tremendous authority, and when that trust is violated—as is alleged here—this office and our federal and state law enforcement partners will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Suplizio and Shaffer face a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1.25 million or both.

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