By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

Chairman Dr. Richard Leff announced at the June 1 Kennett Township Board of Supervisors meeting that the township has reached an agreement with Barbacane Thornton & Company that will pay the township $735,000 in order to settle a dispute between the township and the accounting firm.

“The township and Barbacane had a bona fide dispute regarding potential claims arising out of Lisa Moore’s embezzlement of township funds and Barbacane’s auditing of the township,” Leff read from a prepared statement. “The parties attended two days of private mediation to resolve that bona fide dispute. Without admitting or conceding any liability or wrongdoing, the parties have determined that it is in their best interests to resolve this dispute.”

With the amount of the settlement agreement finalized, the township has recovered $3.44 million to date in its efforts to recoup the losses from the more than $3.2 million that Moore stole from the township over a nearly eight-year period that began in 2013 and ended in 2019.

While that’s a surplus for the township, Manager Eden Ratliff said that the township’s total expenses during the investigation of Moore’s theft and its subsequent recovery efforts still total $1.09 million – a sum that he said the township will eventually recover.

At her sentencing on Oct. 4, 2021, Moore and her attorney Alexa Rogers arranged a guilty plea deal with prosecuting attorneys William Judge, Jr. and Michelle Frei of the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, and was sentenced by the Hon. David F. Bortner and taken into custody on five counts: Theft by Deception, Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, Forgery, Tampering with Public Records and Access Device Fraud. As part of her punishment, Moore was also required to pay restitution costs back to the township in the amount of $3,249,453. Prior to her sentencing, Moore provided a certified cashier’s check in the amount of $1.2 million that was given to the township.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].

 

 

 

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