Bucks County school PTO treasurer charged with stealing funds

💲Jacqueline Bucco was treasurer of the Grasse Elementary School PTO

💲Police were called when the PTO's bank account was depleted

💲Bucco admitted in 2011 to embezzling over $400K from Dow Jones

HILLTOWN, Pa. — The PTO treasurer charged with stealing funds was charged with stealing thousands from the Wall Street bank she worked for in 2011.

Jacqueline Bucco, 45, of Telford faces a slew of charges in the theft of over $20,000 from the J. M. Grasse Elementary School PTO, according to Hilltown police. The PTO went to police in June 2023 after finding their bank account was depleted. The school is part of the Pennridge School District.

An investigation determined Bucco became treasurer in Sept. 2021 and over the next two years embezzled monies collected at PTO fundraisers by forging the names of PTO board members on checks she cut to herself.

Bucco was charged with:

• Dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities
• Forgery (unauthorized act in writing)
• Theft by unlawful taking (movable property)
• Receiving stolen property
• Theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received
• Criminal use of a communication facility
• Unlawful use of a computer (access to disrupt functions)
• Computer trespass (transfer funds)

Bucco was arraigned on May 29 and released on $100,000 unsecured bail.

Past theft from Wall Street bank

Hilltown police chief Chris Englehart confirmed for the Bucks County Courier Times that Bucco pleaded guilty in 2011 to charges she stole over $400,000 from her employer, Dow Jones & Company.

While working at an office in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick between  March 2009 and March 2011 Bucco transferred $429,210 in funds from customer orders to three bank acounts she controlled, according to then U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul J. Fishman.

She spent the money on personal items, including a Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle, Coach items, Apple iPads, an Xbox, four guitars (three Gibson Les Paul guitars and one Sterling guitar), over a dozen jewelry items, and a wedding dress.

Bucco was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay full restitution.

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