The DuBois City Manager and Executive Director for the DuBois Area United Way has been arrested for allegedly embezzling over $600,000.
Attorney General Michelle Henry announced today that 62-year-old John “Herm” Suplizio was arrested for allegedly making $620,000 in fraudulent transactions from City and United Way bank accounts.
The majority of the funds were from accounts for the City’s Volunteer Fire Department’s annual “Community Days” event.
Henry says the funds were used to pay personal credit card bills, make political donations, and gamble.
In addition to the fraud, a Grand Jury investigation found that Suplizio used his position as City Manager to enter into contracts with businesses for which he received personal benefits. From 2014-2021, Suplizio also allegedly provided false information on his tax returns, paying for numerous charges with public money and claiming those charges as unreimbursed expenses on his taxes.
Suplizio was charged with five counts of Theft by Unlawful Taking; one count of Conflict of Interest; one count of Misapplication of Entrusted Property; and eight counts of Fraudulent Return.
“Suplizio was a trusted public official who should have been acting in the best interests of his community,” said Henry. “Instead, he betrayed that trust by stealing hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for his own personal use. This egregious violation of the trust Pennsylvanians put in their officials is disgraceful. Today’s arrest is a reminder that no one is above the law, and that everyone who holds public office in Pennsylvania is accountable to the people.”
Another kick in the family jewels from a past Dubois fire chief who once again acted as though he was better than anyone else. The Dubois fire department is much better than these 2 individuals and I hope the community continues to support these men and women whole heartedly.
To embezzle from the United Way and the Volunteer Fire department is a disgusting crime.
Tax payers should not be responsible for his theft. Red, Blue, White, democrats, Republicans and Independants . Unite to hold public officials responsible. Where is the audit of the books. I can not understand how this happens so frequently at the expense of all taxpayers. We must be ok with it because WE keep letting this happen. Sad day for DuBois.