Woman stole more than $4,000 from Sean Sluganski memorial scholarship fund, police say

An Allegheny County woman is facing theft charges after police said she stole more than $4,000 from a scholarship fund created to honor a fallen McKeesport police officer.

Tracy Whitney was charged this week after police said the 51-year-old woman used money from the McKeesport Area Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund for her own personal benefit. The fund was created in memory of Officer Sean Sluganski, who was killed in the line of duty in 2023 while responding to a domestic situation.

Police said Whitney and co-workers at McKeesport Area School District created a scholarship fund to provide money for McKeesport area students looking to pursue a career in public service.

In April, an employee at the district reportedly told police they began questioning the scholarship fund's account balance and went to the Huntington National Bank branch in White Oak, where they discovered suspicious activity.

"The witness stated that they skimmed the transaction history, discovered suspicious activity and froze the account," police said.

The employee told police that Whitney was the sole administrator and only person with access to online banking accounts.

Police said Whitney also served as president of McKeesport Educational Support, a union for the McKeesport Area School District support staff who are not in the teachers' union.

"The witness stated that they had asked Whitney multiple times for the login information for both the union and scholarship accounts, however, Whitney would give various excuses about online access being locked out by Huntington National Bank," police said.

Police said bank records and transaction reports revealed that Whitney allegedly took $4,272.73 and used the money to make payments at places like T-Mobile, Duquesne Light Company, Verizon Wireless, Walmart, Shop 'n Save and Plaza Azteca.

The witness told police there shouldn't have been any activity on the account after June 2025, "because the Slugfest fundraising fund had just ended." Transactions show at least two dozen purchases or payments from July 2025 to February 2026.

"It's just really disappointing. It seems like these type of things keep happening in McKeesport all of a sudden. Like these past few years, money's just being taken from everywhere," said Dominique Webb, a McKeesport resident.

Police said Whitney reported to a co-worker that there were no applicants for the scholarship fund this past spring. However, the witness later learned that three students had actually applied.

McKeesport Police Chief Josh Alfer called the situation "heartbreaking."

"It's tragic that someone would take funds from an account made in honor of Officer Sluganski. It's a shame that someone would remove another child's opportunity and take away what the scholarship was designed for," Alfer said.

Whitney's attorney, Mike DeRiso, said his client found herself in an unfortunate financial situation and made some "poor decisions." DeRiso said the money has since been paid back.

Whitney was arrested and released on bond. She faces charges including theft and receiving stolen property.