North Coventry woman charged with theft from Ryerss Farm

By Caroline Sweeney
casweeney@pottsmerc.com 

SOUTH COVENTRY — A woman who is waiting for her trial to begin in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas was arrested and charged after investigators uncovered an alleged theft of almost $45,000 from Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines.
On Feb. 22, Sarah Barnshaw, 31, of North Coventry, was charged with multiple felonies including receiving stolen property and theft by unlawful taking, according to court documents.
For almost two years, investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police at Embreeville followed discrepancies in accounting paperwork during Barnshaws employment between 2010 and Feb. 2, 2012, police said.
In a statement to police on April 18, 2012, Gail Morris, secretary for the board of directors, said Barnshaw was in charge of finances for the farm but she was fired for, “a considerable decline in work performance with respect to paying bills of the organization in an appropriate time frame.”
Morris told police that after looking at the financial records she found several “questionable” credit card accounts with very high balances while other accounts showed very low balances.
It was that discovery that launched the investigation, police said.
After several search warrants were approved to look at accounts in National Penn Bank, TD Bank, the Staples Corporation and Citi-Bank, police discovered Barnshaw allegedly took $44,940.36 during her tenure at the farm.
Police said Barnshaw used the accounts to give herself cash, pay bills, pay rent, send money to a former roommate, open credit cards, buy gift cards to restaurants and department stores, and purchase electronics.
Police named Jared Harrison, of Limerick, as a co-defendant. Harrison allegedly received 18 checks from Barnshaw for a total of $11,177.
On June 20, 2012, while Barnshaw was working at the farm, she was charged with 43 felonies including identity theft, forgery, and theft by unlawful taking.
After her preliminary hearing in front of District Judge Edward C. Kropp Sr., on Aug. 2, 2012, half the charges against her were dropped.
According to court paperwork, the trial for those charges is scheduled to begin in the Spring in Norristown.
The board of directors for Ryerss Farm is meeting Thursday at 8:30 a.m. to discuss the charges, according to board president Samuel Griffin. Griffin said he could not comment about the investigation.