Former tax collector gets prison for theft

Former tax collector gets prison for theft

BARNESVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A former township tax collector has been sentenced to prison after admitting he stole nearly $400,000 in public money.

The Republican-Herald reports 73-year-old William G. Wildoner was sentenced Wednesday to 18 to 60 months in state prison as part of a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by failure to make required disposition.

State police say he stole the money between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010, while he served as tax collector for Ryan Township. He held the position for 35 years before being arrested. Investigators say the thefts came to light in April 2011 when Wildoner told school district officials he had lost a tax deposit for more than $171,000.

Prosecutors and Wildoner’s lawyer declined comment after the hearing.