Delaware County District Attorney: Employee stole $100K to buy gifts, concert tickets

MEDIA, Pa. (WPVI) -- An employee in the Delaware County District Attorney's Office is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the office and using it to buy lavish gifts and tickets to concerts and sporting events.

Mary Lynch, a 29 year employee, worked there as a financial administrator.

The district attorney says the $100,000 is just what's been uncovered since March 2013 but they believe her alleged scheme has been going on much longer.

"This is a case of betrayal," said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan.

Whelan says Lynch basically ran a Ponzi scheme using forfeited drug money and other proceeds to fuel an extravagant lifestyle.

He says Lynch comingled funds and used more than $60,000 of the stolen money to buy tickets to Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift concerts along with tickets to sporting events.

"She sat in the front row of the Flyers game and those Flyers tickets were purchased on Stubhub. On Stubhub, I believe the purchase price of those Flyers tickets each was $600," said Whelan.

Investigators say a search of her home uncovered the concert tickets and roughly $60,00 in cash which she claimed belonged to her boyfriend.

Investigators learned of the alleged thefts after a launching an investigation into possible stolen evidence at Upper Darby Police.

The D.A.'s office has an independent auditor for forfeited funds but it failed to uncover the alleged scheme.

"Ms. Lynch would create and alter court documents and would forge the judge's names on documents," said Whelan.

Whelan says Lynch has admitted to the crimes.

She has since been fired and will have to repay the money. If convicted she will lose her pension.

The D.A.'s office is now implementing new internal controls to prevent such thefts.

"We believe that this would be the first start of making sure that this doesn't happen in the future," said Whelan.

Whelan has referred the case to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.

As for Lynch, she is out on $100,000 unsecured bond.