Former Sullivan County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced To One Year In Federal Prison For Embezzlement

SCRANTON -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mary Handzus, age 64, of Laporte, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 1, 2020 to 12 months and a day followed by two years on supervised release by United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for theft from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, between 2012 and 2019, Handzus was employed as the Administrative Deputy by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and stole $198,566 from the Sheriff’s Office account.

Judge Brann also ordered Handzus to pay restitution in the amount of $250,755, for the money she stole and the forensic audit conducted following the discovery of the theft.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.

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