The former principal of Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School in Maple Glen, Pa., has been charged with stealing more than $25,000 in school funds.
John McGrath, 56, allegedly used the funds to cover a range of personal expenses, reports PhillyVoice.com.
An internal investigation at the school uncovered dozens of suspicious transactions on a school-issued credit card, a Venmo account linked to a school credit card, and an Amazon account. Most of the unauthorized activity occurred last summer and fall.
Authorized signors of the school's bank account and the school's business manager reviewed the unusual activity last fall and reported findings to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which informed Upper Dublin police. McGrath was placed on leave last fall.
The investigation found that McGrath allegedly made $25,436.54 in unauthorized purchases and expenses during an extended period in 2020 and 2021.
Transactions McGrath made on the school's accounts included rent payments, food and hotel accommodations, personal items and a vacation to Washington, D.C., that was disguised as a trip for a non-existent conference on STEM education, prosecutors said.
McGrath allegedly took his brother and a teacher with him on the July 2021 vacation to the nation's capital, where expenses included sightseeing, museum admissions and dining that amounted to about $3,550.
