The former treasurer of the Shenango Township Volunteer Fire Department faces a Thanksgiving eve preliminary hearing on charges that she stole money from the department.

Jacalyn A. Varga, 50, of 450 Pulaski Road, Shenango Township, was charged by the Mercer County Sheriff's Department with two counts of theft and one count of receiving stolen property.

The criminal investigation opened when a department official filed a private criminal complaint with the Mercer County District Attorney's Office, police said.

A June 2001 audit of the Center One social hall records by township auditors showed that three checks totaling $967 were entered into the check register and a spiral notebook Ms. Varga used to keep track of checks and deposits, but not in the deposit book or monthly bank statements, police said.

The auditors questioned Ms. Varga, the wife of former Fire Chief Joseph Varga, and she maintained that she deposited the checks at the Farrell branch of First National Bank of Pennsylvania, not the West Middlesex branch, which is where most department banking transactions were conducted, police said.

She said if she couldn't find deposit slips, she would repay the money, police said. She did neither, police said.

The bank had no record of the deposits, police said.

Ms. Varga told police that she made the deposit and did not take the money, police said.

Ms. Varga was dismissed as treasurer shortly after the audit. She had been treasurer for 2è years.

Ms. Varga was released on her own recognizance at her arraignment. A preliminary hearing is set for 11 a.m. Nov. 27 before District Justice Henry J. Russo, Hermitage.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at:

jpinchot@sharonherald.com