The former president of the Greater Carbondale YMCA’s board of trustees faces charges after investigators said he unlawfully used the nonprofit’s credit card for personal transactions totaling nearly $7,000.
The Lackawanna County district’s attorney office received a complaint April 18, 2024, from Susan Mancuso on behalf of the Greater Carbondale YMCA regarding misuse of funds, police said.
William Farber Jr.
Mancuso told investigators several transactions made on the organization’s Chase credit card — assigned to former Executive Director Jason Mackie — were not made for YMCA purposes, according to a criminal complaint.
The fraudulent transactions were uncovered by the YCMA’S business manager, Laura Mauro, after researching where some of the transactions were made, police said. All the places Mauro contacted said the transactions were made by William Farber Jr., the organization’s former board president, who was not authorized to use the card for personal expenses, investigators said.
When questioned about the transactions, Farber said he was given the card to use for a fencing project and must have mistakenly used it, and promised to pay back the amount, police said.
In December, Farber left an envelope for Mackie with a note that said, “Jason, call me on this bill,” according to the criminal complaint.
The envelope contained a personal check from Farber made payable to the Greater Carbondale YMCA for $2,221, but Farber told Mackie not to cash it until further notice, investigators said.
After further review, it was discovered Farber used the card for even more transactions from Aug. 31, 2023, to Jan. 23, 2024, including at Modern Gas Sales and Tasca Ford for a total of $6,811.17, police said.
Mackie disputed some of the charges and received refunds totaling $3,362.89, according to the criminal complaint.
Police charged Farber, 53, 317 Crystal Lake Road, Fell Twp., with receiving stolen property, theft by deception, access device fraud and criminal use of a communications facility.
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