Pamela Hackenburg, a former secretary and treasurer for Gregg Township in Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to prison time for the embezzlement of more than $500,000 from the local authority.
The 56-year-old was the sole individual with access to the funds in the small rural settlement in Center County, PA, with the indiscretions taking place between January 2019 and May 2024, when the net began to close on her activity.
Suspicions and irregularities led to external accountants blowing the whistle on the fraudulent activity.
The resident of Millmont in Union County will serve between two and four years (which could be reduced to 18 months) in state prison, with a further two years on probation.
Pamela Hackenburg has been ordered to repay a total of just over $615,000 to Gregg Township.
Prosecutors outlined how she made a total of 3664 unauthorized withdrawals from the locality’s accounts, with the majority of them – 2700 – used to fund a gambling habit with DraftKings.
Over $322,000 was said to have been spent on the prominent betting platform, with a further $149,000 used on Venmo for various personal spending purposes, as well as lavish holiday spending and other non-essential needs.
Conversely, the U.S. gambling giant DraftKings has embarked on a month-long responsible gambling campaign for Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM), following a lawsuit over exploitative marketing tactics.
NEW: Former rural Pa. township secretary sentenced to state prison for $532K theft of public dollarshttps://t.co/J6RsNiJaLu
— Spotlight PA (@SpotlightPA) September 16, 2025
Attorney says Hackenburg is a “delusional” individual
Beyond the illicit use of official money, Hackenburg is said to have left a trail of fake accounts, attempting to disguise her activity with fabricated financial reports and withholding key information from colleagues.
She even diverted money earmarked for municipal spending, such as road repairs, for her own needs.
Deputy Centre County district attorney Crystal Hundt told the court that Pamela Hackenburg was delusional, that her “activities and behavior are devoid of remorse for the abuse of her position and the harm she inflicted upon this community.”
The disgraced former office holder was charged with three counts, with her prison time accompanied by the 24 months probation for Identity Theft and Access Device Fraud.
Image credit: BermixStudio/Unsplash
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