DA: Former Pennsylvania principal charged after stealing over $25K from school for rent, personal expenses

DA: Former Pennsylvania principal charged after stealing more than $25K from school for rent, personal expenses

The former principal is accused of using a school credit card for personal transactions including, Uber, Amazon, restaurants and a vacation to Washington D.C. which he disguised as a work-related conference.

MAPLE GLEN, Pa. - A former Montgomery County school principal is facing charges related to stealing thousands from his school, according to District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.

According to Steele's office, 56-year-old John C. McGrath of Norristown has been charged with multiple felonies related to the theft of more than $25,000 from Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School in Maple Glen.

The DA's office says the Archdiocese of Philadelphia contacted police in Upper Dublin in November about an internal investigation accusing McGrath of stealing school funds over a period of time.

Upper Dublin Township police found that McGrath used a school credit card to make unauthorized payments for personal expenses, a vacation and entertainment totaling $25,436.54, according to Steele.

Authorities say 11 transactions were made with a Venmo account tied to a school credit card, including rent payments for his personal residence.

John McGrath, 56, is facing several charges relating to stealing more than $25,000 from Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School.

The school credit card was also used for additional transactions including restaurants, bars, Venmo, Door Dash, Uber, hotel stays, clothing and housewares, according to the DA's office.

Some of those items purchased were gifted to a teacher at the school, authorities say.

Officials also say the credit card was charged $3,554.10 for a conference in Washington D.C. in July that did not exist.

The money was instead used to fund a vacation McGrath took with his brother and a teacher, Steele's office says.

According to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, McGrath was placed on leave in the fall of 2021 and the board decided it would be best if he did not return as principal.

The group said, "The governing pastors and the school’s board take their obligation as stewards of school and parish resources seriously and have controls in place to safeguard financial integrity. This matter was discovered because those controls functioned as designed. With the assistance of the Archdiocese, a report regarding this matter was made to local law enforcement. The school cooperated with detectives during the course of their investigate work, which recently concluded."

McGrath is facing multiple charges including dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and access device fraud.