South Greensburg fire chief now under additional investigation tied to cemetery job

Last week, South Greensburg Fire Chief Matthew White was arrested and accused of stealing over $178,000 from his own department.

Now, White's former employer, St. Clair Cemetery, has also asked the Pennsylvania State Police to investigate White.

It is not yet known why White was let go or if this new investigation coincides with the investigation into White's alleged embezzlement of more than $178,000 from the South Greensburg Fire Department, where he was chief. But what has been confirmed by state police is that White was fired, and that they are now looking into White's time as the superintendent at St. Clair Cemetery.

KDKA-TV reached out to the cemetery's attorney for comment on this investigation, but did not get a response.

White was taken into custody on Feb. 9 in South Carolina after a welfare check quickly turned into a criminal investigation following an examination of White's bank accounts.

Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police spoke about this case shortly after the arrest was made.

"It's a large sum of money," Limani said. "That's the part that's scary. How did that amount of money get moved, and I think just having a lack of checks and balances is where that is the stopgap in what caused this, because right now, we don't have any reason to believe somebody else was involved."

The South Greensburg Fire Department said in a statement:

The South Greensburg Fire Department recently became aware of serious allegations involving Fire Chief Matt White and the potential misappropriation of department funds.

After careful consideration, he was removed from the department effective immediately. This department maintains a strict policy of zero tolerance for any misuse of funds. The trust placed in this organization by our community is paramount and will be safeguardedwithout exception.

Any breach of that trust will be addressed promptly and decisively. We are fully cooperating with the Pennsylvania State Police in their ongoing investigation and will continue to support their efforts to ensure a complete and thorough review of the facts.

The actions of one individual does not define this department. Our firefighters and officers remain committed to serving this community with integrity, professionalism, and accountability.

White is currently in custody in South Carolina. He is awaiting extradition to Westmoreland County to face embezzlement charges.