2019 in review: Ex-Salvation Army official awaits trial
Paul Dodson, Tamaqua Hunger Walk chair, presents checks to Major Sharon Whispell of the Salvation Army. Also receiving checks were Pastor Rick Clemson of the American Primitive Methodist Church and Pastor Darryl Kensinger of Trinity United Church of Christ.
It was a shock to the Tamaqua community to discover that the former administrator of the Tamaqua Salvation Army was arrested for theft over the summer.
Sharon Whispell was charged with theft by deception/false impression, theft by unlawful taking-movable property, receiving stolen property, and theft by failure to make required dispensation of funds and tampering of records. She was suspended from her position on July 5, as the Salvation Army found discrepancies in paperwork totaling $116,913.33 dating back to 2015.
Tamaqua’s Cpl. Thomas Rodgers was contacted by Maj. Cornell of the Salvation Army on Aug. 6 to inform him of the discoveries. The next day, a complaint was prepared and a warrant was issued for Whispell’s arrest. She was arrested in York on Aug. 8.
“The cooperation with the Salvation Army was fantastic,” Rodgers said. “They had their ducks in a row and their audit done.”
The audit illustrated $80,313.37 in fraudulent purchases submitted to the Salvation Army for reimbursement between October 2015 and June 2019, and $36,599.96 in fraudulent purchases submitted to The United Way between April 2017 and 2019 for reimbursement.
There were two fires over the last two years at the Salvation Army in downtown Tamaqua. The most recent fire, in May, was ruled arson. Tamaqua Police charged her with arson.
“She was cooperative as far as the investigation went,” Rodgers said. “I think we’d like to get an admission out of her (for the fire), but that wasn’t coming.
Police said surveillance video from the center on the morning of the fire shows that Whispell was the only person who had access to the storage room where the fire took place. A boy seen on video meeting with Whispell 10 minutes before the fire alarm reportedly told officers that he gave Whispell a cigarette lighter. He said she asked him to retrieve the lighter from the upstairs apartment.
“It’s kind of just sitting in limbo; things are waiting to be filed at the county level for the trial,” Rodgers said.
Whispell is currently out on bail.
As for the Salvation Army, it’s in great hands with Maj. Gayle and Capt. John Luby, who are now in charge of the local organization, which just wrapped up a busy, productive holiday season.
“It’s not the Salvation Army, it’s not about me, it’s not about my wife,” said John Luby. “It’s about the community responding to each other’s needs. This is an amazing community and all of this is done by volunteers.”
