SMETHPORT – A former assistant warden of the McKean County Jail
was charged Wednesday with felony theft charges related to the
misappropriation of county funds at the jail.

Magisterial District Judge Bill Todd said Thursday that Robert
D. Windsor Jr., 43, of 44 King St., Eldred, was charged with theft
by failure to make required disposition of funds received, a
third-degree felony; and misapplication of entrusted property and
property of a government institution, a second-degree
misdemeanor.

The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the
Pennsylvania State Police into allegations that Windsor had
tampered with inmates’ commissary banking accounts, effectively
stealing more than $22,000 in the process.

Windsor resigned in April of 2003 amid allegations that he was
responsible for altering records and stealing from the commissary
accounts. An audit later showed the amount taken was $22,525.59,
and that it happened between June 2, 1998, and Sept. 16, 2002.

According to court records, the state police started
investigating in April of 2005, conducting interviews with former
McKean County Jail Warden Dennis Luther, former Assistant Warden
David Stahlman and former McKean County Sheriff Donald Morey
regarding suspicions at that time that Windsor was stealing from
the jail.

Windsor started working as the commissary officer/work release
coordinator in June of 1994. He was promoted to assistant warden in
June of 2000.

Stahlman told police that it had come to his attention in the
fall of 2002 that the ledger book and computer entries for the
inmates’ commissary bank accounts were not matching up. He
determined at that time the fraudulent entries in the ledger book
were in Windsor’s handwriting and occurred only when Windsor was
working.

“It appeared that the Defendant (Windsor) would complete all the
deposits in the computer, but not write them all in the ledger. The
Defendant would then take the amount of money that was not written
in the ledger,” court records said.

When Stahlman confronted Windsor, Windsor denied any wrongdoing.
Stahlman took the issue to Morey, who told Stahlman to collect
documentation showing the inconsistencies between the computer and
ledger while Windsor was not working. When the management at the
jail confronted Windsor with their findings, Windsor resigned.

Police noted the computer and written ledgers started matching
up again in Windsor’s absence and the commissary account, which was
“always tight, grew considerably.”

The investigating officer said in April of 2005 he obtained the
necessary accounting records from Morey and gave them to county
Controller Tom Ball. The CPA firm Felix and Gloekler of Erie,
conducted an audit at Ball’s request. The audit revealed several
instances where Windsor apparently recorded amounts as far less
than what was actually received, taking the difference for
himself.

The investigating officer also said Windsor admitted to making
the fraudulent entries when interviewed by police.

Windsor was released on $10,000 unsecured bail Wednesday
afternoon. It was unclear when Windsor’s preliminary hearing is
scheduled.