Crime & Safety

Woman Must Face Trial in $100K Theft from Bethlehem Y

Charges held for court against Theresa Leguillow, accused of embezzling while she managed apartments for YMCA.

By Jack Tobias

She allegedly failed to deposit more than $50,000 in rent money.

She allegedly withheld security deposits.

She allegedly took quarters used in a laundry room.

She allegedly used the name of several tenants to receive emergency shelter grants from Northampton County.

In all, Theresa Leguillow, 45, is accused of stealing more than $100,000 over three years in her job managing apartments for the Bethlehem YMCA.

Those charges were held for Northampton County Court action after a three-hour hearing Thursday before District Judge Roy Manwaring.

Online court records say Leguillow, 45, of 17 E. Susquehanna St., Allentown, is facing eight charges. Four are felonies—theft by deception, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and tampering with public records.

Her formal arraignment was set for March 6 in county court. She was represented by Allentown attorney David Nicholls and remains free on $10,000 bail.

Leguillow was building manager for the YMCA’s Affordable Housing Division, which operates a 35-unit apartment building at the Y’s campus at 430 E. Broad St.

Leguillow was charged Dec. 6. According to the criminal complaint:

  • Her alleged scheme unraveled in August when a number of tenants began to complain after they received notices informing them of overdue rent balances. Many of them were able to produce receipts that had been signed by Leguillow, who started working at the job in July 2010.
  • Northampton County Controller Stephen Barron, a certified forensic accountant, then began to examine records from the Y’s Affordable Housing Division and discovered that more than $103,643 was missing.
  • In addition to not depositing $54,000 in rent that had been recorded in YMCA accounting software, Leguillow also failed to record nearly $17,000 in rent payments for which she had given a tenant a handwritten receipt. The amount of money kept from security deposits was nearly $10,000.


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