A South Park man admitted to stealing $1.2 million from an Upper St. Clair church that he and his wife used on vacations, Pittsburgh Pirates tickets and other expenses, Allegheny County authorities say.
David Reiter, 50, a former administrator at Westminster Presbyterian Church, pleaded guilty Wednesday before Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey A. Manning to theft, receiving stolen property, forgery, access device fraud, tampering with records and unlawful use of a computer.
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office filed the charges in February.
Reiter worked as the church’s administrator since 2001. He hid the thefts through impersonating employees at audit firms and falsifying accounting data, according to investigators. He created a fake employee at an auditing firm that did not do business with the church but who Reiter said was working on the church’s finances.
According to the criminal complaint, the phone number for the fake auditor was actually for a cellphone that Reiter had purchased with church funds. He then pretended to be the auditor when the church’s treasurer called.
His sentencing is set for Jan. 14. Judge Manning ordered Reiter to pay back more than $1.2 million in restitution.
His wife, Connie Reiter, 44, is charged with two felony counts of receiving stolen property. Her trial is scheduled to start in January.
