Former Westmoreland-Fayette Boy Scouts employee accused of theft

Renatta Signorini, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Nov. 7—A former employee of the Boy Scouts of America's Westmoreland-Fayette Council is accused of taking $87,000 from the organization in a period of about four years, according to court papers.

Jonathan C. Stoops, 42, of Greensburg previously worked as the manager of the council's Scout shop, according to a social media post. The shop, in Greensburg, has Scout uniforms, camping gear and other items for sale, its website states.

Greensburg police were notified in October by council officials that $87,000 was found to be missing after Stoops' employment ended. Authorities believe Stoops processed numerous false returns at the shop and then claimed to have provided the fictitious customer money for the return, according to court papers.

Council officials flagged suspicious transactions dating to 2020.

Stoops is accused of pocketing cash and processing amount for false returns onto his own credit cards, police said. Investigators reviewed his bank account information and found multiple cash deposits between January 2020 and August 2023 in addition to his paycheck, according to court papers.

During an interview last month, when an officer asked about 18 items that supposedly were returned one day in August, Stoops said he took the money from the organization in an attempt to pay some bills, according to court papers.

"He said that he made stupid decisions and did not want to be charged," wrote Officer Garret McNamara.

Stoops was arrested last week on charges of forgery, theft and receiving stolen property. A phone number listed for him was not in service. An attorney was not listed in online court records. Stoops is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.

A Nov. 16 preliminary hearing is set.

Marcus Ragland, Scout executive and chief executive officer of the local council, said the organization is continuing to work with law enforcement.

"Jonathan Stoops' eligibility to register in the Boy Scouts of America was revoked following an internal review by the Westmoreland-Fayette Council after Mr. Stoops left the council," Ragland said in a statement. "Mr. Stoops was placed in our volunteer screening database, precluding him from future registration or employment in Scouting."

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .