Three employees at the Free Library of Philadelphia are accused of embezzling more than $9,000 in overdue book fines.
Natalie Collins, Linda Robinson and Patricia Finley allegedly stole $9,054.47 in library funds in three separate schemes from May 2009 to November 2010 at the Haddington, Kingsessing and Wyoming branches. David Utz and Susan Rigsby, former branch managers at Kingsessing and Wyoming, allegedly enabled the embezzlement with poor supervision according to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The three employees have been fired. One former manager has been suspended while the other has been demoted.
Investigators say Collins, Robinson and Finley were the only employees in their branches who prepared bank deposit documentation, delivered money to the bank, sent deposit documentation to the Free Library Foundation and oversaw branch deposit documentation. Many bank deposit records were missing and incomplete at all three branches and there were numerous discrepancies between the Foundation’s bank account statements and records kept by the branches, according to investigators.
The OIG analyzed the Free Library’s policies as well as procedures for processing payments from patrons. Investigators have not revealed the specific charges or any court information for the three suspects.
