Local Nonprofit's Finances Plagued by Scandalous Treasurer's Embezzlement
A former treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) has been accused of siphoning $246,000 from the non-profit organization to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury vacations, expensive home upgrades, and high-end credit card debt.
Michael Fantuzzo, 40, of Westmoreland County, was tasked with managing POTA's finances until his alleged scheme came to light during a financial review last year. Prosecutors claim that between May 2021 and September 2025, Fantuzzo depleted the organization's savings account entirely to pay off personal expenses using both his own credit cards and one belonging to the association.
According to investigators, Fantuzzo treated POTA's money like his own, making purchases such as a family vacation to Disney World, renting a luxury home in North Carolina for over $7,000, and installing an elaborate hot tub at his own residence. He also used the organization's funds to cover property taxes and paid off over $100,000 in debt on four of his credit cards.
The case took a turn when detectives discovered that Fantuzzo had transferred millions of dollars directly into his and his wife's PayPal accounts. "It was deeply troubling to learn that Mr. Fantuzzo chose to abuse the trust we placed in him with respect to POTA's financial accounts," the association said in a statement.
Fantuzzo turned himself in to authorities on Friday, facing charges of theft by deception and related offenses. His bail was set at $100,000, and he has a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 17.
A former treasurer of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) has been accused of siphoning $246,000 from the non-profit organization to fund a lavish lifestyle that included luxury vacations, expensive home upgrades, and high-end credit card debt.
Michael Fantuzzo, 40, of Westmoreland County, was tasked with managing POTA's finances until his alleged scheme came to light during a financial review last year. Prosecutors claim that between May 2021 and September 2025, Fantuzzo depleted the organization's savings account entirely to pay off personal expenses using both his own credit cards and one belonging to the association.
According to investigators, Fantuzzo treated POTA's money like his own, making purchases such as a family vacation to Disney World, renting a luxury home in North Carolina for over $7,000, and installing an elaborate hot tub at his own residence. He also used the organization's funds to cover property taxes and paid off over $100,000 in debt on four of his credit cards.
The case took a turn when detectives discovered that Fantuzzo had transferred millions of dollars directly into his and his wife's PayPal accounts. "It was deeply troubling to learn that Mr. Fantuzzo chose to abuse the trust we placed in him with respect to POTA's financial accounts," the association said in a statement.
Fantuzzo turned himself in to authorities on Friday, facing charges of theft by deception and related offenses. His bail was set at $100,000, and he has a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 17.
OMG, that's crazy! Who does that?! I mean, I know we've all had some financial struggles in the past, but come on! 
Using an organization's funds like it was your own personal piggy bank is just not right 
. It's like you're betraying trust and taking advantage of people who genuinely care about a good cause. The fact that he even used credit cards from the association for his own expenses? Yikes! 
It's just outrageous. I hope Fantuzzo gets the help he needs, but it sounds like he's in some serious trouble right now 
.
Does he have no idea how his actions affect others? He used a non-profit for his own personal gain and now everyone's got to foot the bill because of his stupid decisions. 
This is just so disgusting, I'm still shaking my head about it.
This is just crazy, right? I mean, $246,000 is a lot of money, but to think that it was all being squandered by one person... it's mind-boggling. And the worst part is that he was supposed to be handling the finances for an organization that helps people with occupational therapy, which is already a tough and emotional space to navigate.
. It's not right that he treated the org's money like it was his own, making purchases on his credit cards and even using the association's funds to pay off personal debt 
. The fact that he abused the trust placed in him is just mind-boggling 
. Kudos to the detectives for doing their job and bringing this guy to justice 
!
It's like he thought POTA was his personal piggy bank. Disney World vacation and a hot tub? Are you kidding me? 
Give me a break! 
And $246,000?! That's like, a small country's budget right there... just outrageous! 
. it's not like he was running a business or anything, just taking care of some non-profit's books for years and still managed to blow through 246k 
.
. We gotta keep pushing for accountability and transparency, so this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
. We need to stay humble and recognize our own fallibility, because if we don't, someone else will take advantage of us 
.
The bail amount of $100k seems reasonable, but I wish they were setting a higher one. 
Did they not think about the consequences of their actions? 
I guess this is a good reminder for all of us to double-check our finances and make sure we're being responsible with our money. 
what's even crazier is that he used the org's credit card lol, like was he trying to get caught or somethin'?! anyway, gotta give props to law enforcement for catching this dude and bringing him to justice 
At least he got caught before it was too late... or at least until his credit score hit rock bottom 
.
! But I guess Fantuzzo just thought he was above the law 
and to POTA for speaking out about what happened 
. Hopefully, Fantuzzo gets some serious time in the slammer 
#JusticeForPOTA #EmbezzlementExposé #NonprofitScandal
$246,000 is a huge amount of money, and for him to blow it all on personal expenses? No wonder they had to dig deep into their savings account 
It's disgusting how some people prioritize their own interests over the needs of others 
Bail set at $100,000 might not be enough to keep him behind bars, considering the severity of the crimes 
#JusticeForPOTA #ScandalousTreasurer #EmbezzlementExposed
and i'm so mad at his wife too 
how could she let him get away with it for so long 