Township manager charged with filing fake medical receipts, taking movie tickets
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
West Brandywine Township Manager Ronald Rambo charged with theft and forgery, Thursday, after allegedly filing falsified medical receipts and stealing eight movie tickets.
WEST BRANDYWINE — Township Manager Ronald Rambo was charged Thursday with embezzling nearly $500 from the township by filing approving allegedly false medical reimbursements for himself and his family and taking movie tickets.
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced Rambo’s arrest on charges of theft and forgery by the Chester County Detectives, alleging that the long-time township manager diverted township funds for his own use.
Although a relatively small amount of money was involved, Hogan said Thursday, that no amount of corruption should be tolerated by public officials.
“There is no such thing as petty corruption,” Hogan said in a statement issued by his office. “Any misuse of public funds by a government worker undermines the faith and trust of the public. Any public employee who steals public funds will be arrested and prosecuted.”
Rambo, 59, has been Township Manager for about 20 years and was recently put on leave by the township pending an investigation into alleged missing funds, but subsequently reinstated. In interviews with county detectives, Rambo allegedly admitted filing inaccurate paperwork and taking the movie tickets without paying for them. He cited financial difficulties in 2010 as the primary motive, detectives said.
County detectives began investigating Rambo in February when they were tipped off that the long-time township employee — who oversees the township’s finances as part of his job — was diverting funds for his own use from the medical fund.
Township employees and their families, under the township’s health care plan, are limited to paying just $5 for co-pays. When they pay $20 to see their doctor, they are expected to supply the township with a receipt and are reimbursed for $15.
Rambo is alleged to have created multiple fake receipts for medical office visits and pharmacy purchases for members of his family, submitted them and then approved them for payment, dating back to 2010 — funds totaling $376.30.
In addition, Rambo is charged with taking a strip of eight movie tickets worth $80 from Regal Cinema in February of this year — a number of local municipalities sell discounted tickets to local movie theaters and keep them in the township office.
According to the charges, Rambo used a number of similar techniques to take $456.30 from the township, although that number could go up as the investigation is continuing.
As the investigation proceeded, detectives were told that Rambo had been previously confronted over alleged instances of misappropriating funds and had agreed to repay the township. But, detectives said, he continued to misappropriate funds.
Detective Thomas Goggin led the investigation for the Chester County Detectives.
While Hogan said that conduct such as that alleged against Rambo is the exception and not the rule for local officials, the county will fight to keep its clean reputation by rooting out corruption anywhere it is found.
“We are relatively fortunate in Chester County,” Hogan said in a statement. “Unlike some places where public corruption is commonplace, Chester County prides itself on maintaining high standards among government employees. We will not stand for corruption in Chester County.”
