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SCRANTON, PA – Karen McGinnis, 46, of Mountain Top, will spend the next 20 months behind bars after admitting she pilfered over $400,000 from Fairview Township residents. Judge Karoline Mehalchick handed down the sentence Friday, following McGinnis’s conviction for skimming property taxes for personal use.
From March 2023 through January 2025, McGinnis, as Fairview Township’s elected tax collector, was responsible for handling payments destined for the township, Luzerne County, and the Crestwood School District. Instead, she systematically wrote checks to herself, diverting the funds into her own pocket.
The scheme ran for nearly two years before being uncovered. While McGinnis had already repaid roughly $40,000 before the feds moved in, she still owes $367,088.35 to the victims. Both Luzerne County and the Crestwood School District are confirmed to have received federal grants during the period McGinnis was siphoning funds.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, led by Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty, built the case, tracing the complex financial movements. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle A. Moreno prosecuted the matter.
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