Borough official in Fayette County who won $30M Powerball accused of stealing $73K to fuel gambling habit
A former Fayette County borough official who once won a $30 million Powerball is accused of stealing more than $73,000 from a small town's parks commission to fuel a gambling habit.
Investigators say money meant for Point Marion's parks was drained in hundreds of unauthorized transactions. According to court documents, the park commission didn't discover the missing funds until bills went unpaid.
"This money that they've lost still to this day is affecting how many events they can put on. It's a shame," said Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele.
Court documents identify the suspect as Georgianna Carter, the former vice president of the Point Marion Borough Parks Commission, a volunteer role that gave her access to park funds.
Investigators say from April 2021 through August 2022, Carter controlled the commission's bank accounts. The alleged theft came to light after vendors went unpaid, including bills tied to the Point Marion Regatta.
"What led the borough to investigate was that there was money not being paid to the regatta, which was a huge event happening in Point Marion at that point every single year," Aubele said.
When borough officials dug deeper into the account, investigators say they uncovered hundreds of transactions that were not legitimate municipal expenses.
According to the criminal complaint, police say Carter admitted to taking the money when confronted in 2022, but no charges were filed at the time. The case remained unsolved until Aubele reopened it.
"I believe there was a claim that some of the money was paid back by her paramour. However, the amount that was stolen is the amount that we will proceed on," Aubele said.
Investigators say only $17,000 was repaid.
They were also stunned to learn Carter was a previous co-winner of a $30.6 million Powerball jackpot and another $100,000 lottery prize years before the alleged theft.
"It's not yours to take. It belongs to the community," Aubele said.
KDKA-TV reached out to the bureau solicitor for comment.
