Former Doylestown Hospital employee pleads guilty to stealing from charity fund after taking more than $600K
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) — A former Doylestown Hospital employee pleaded guilty Monday to embezzling more than $600,000 from a hospital charitable account, the Bucky County District Attorney's Office said.
Norma Galagarza, 68, of Chalfont, pleaded guilty to several felony charges, including unlawful taking and forgery.
Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley sentenced Galagarza to five years of probation, the district attorney's office said.
Galagarza, who was the hospital's director of medical staff and retired in March 2021, previously paid full restitution of $604,702.29, according to the district attorney's statement.
Galagaraza took money over many years from a charitable fund that was meant for "charitable contributions to the community and employees in need," authorities said. She changed the mailing address on the account from the hospital's to her own and used the stolen money for personal expenses, according to the DA.
Police said Galagarza used the money to pay her personal taxes, real estate taxes, cell phone bills, car payments and credit accounts.
Bucks County detectives and the Doylestown Township Police Department began their joint investigation into Galagarza in January 2022 when the hospital's board of directors said they began receiving insufficient funds charges on an account they believed was inactive.
"This case is another reminder that in any business setting, even the most trusted employee can betray the organization," Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber said in a statement. "No one is beyond systemic controls and oversight."