JIM THORPE, Pa. -- A former county clerk in Carbon County has admitted to stealing more than $43,000 from the county over a five-year period.
William McGinley, 60, of Lehighton, served as clerk of courts for almost 30 years before abruptly retiring in May of 2018.
He pleaded guilty on Monday to theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, tampering with public records, and obstruction of the administration of law.
McGinley admits he took the cash from the Carbon County Correctional Facility's fingerprint booking fees because of a gambling problem. He worked at the Carbon County Courthouse as the clerk of courts for about 28 years.
Court papers indicate McGinley told police he thought he had only taken $20,000.
The state attorney general's report showed that from 2013 to 2018, there were 169 times that fees were collected, but never deposited.
In 2016, the county controller noticed McGinley wasn't depositing jail fees. An audit showed that money was missing, and the state attorney general started looking into the office.