Woman pleads guilty to theft, will repay $100K

Bushore has 10 years to pay former employer

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- An East Freedom woman has pledged to pay back $100,000 over 10 years to her former employer after pleading guilty to a felony count of theft.

Danielle M. Bushore, 47, who has been contesting the charges since they were filed in May 2019, told Blair County Senior Judge Jolene G. Kopriva on Monday that she would plead to theft for the recommended probationary sentence and restitution.

"It's been a long five years," Bushore said. "I'm ready for it to be over."

Kopriva pointed out to Bushore that the plea will obligate her to pay about $833 a month, every month for the next 10 years, to complete the restitution of $100,000.

Bushore advised the judge that she is employed and that she wanted to accept the plea as presented. Bushore also said she discussed plea options with attorney Ed Zang, who represented her until his recent retirement.

First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith advised Kopriva that Bushore was presented with plea options, including ones with an initial payment that could have reduced her monthly payment obligation.

"This was the one she chose, with no money up front," Smith said.

Smith also reported that Bushore's former employer, Advanced Regional Center for Ankle and Foot Care, 711 Logan Blvd., was in agreement with the proposed plea and restitution of $100,000, which was less than the amount identified in the initial charges.

State police at Hollidaysburg accused Bushore, a former billing supervisor for Advanced Regional, of diverting $131,000 over three years that should have been deposited into the business's bank account.

The investigation found that starting in 2014, Bushore filled out deposit slips that were short, one by $200 and another by $1,700. That practice was reported to have continued through May 2017, when Bushore resigned. In February 2018, state police launched an investigation after business personnel submitted spreadsheets showing the discrepancies between income and deposits.

Bushore, who had no prior criminal history, offered little explanation in court for her action. When Kopriva asked if the money was gone, Bushore indicated that it was.

When state police investigated, they identified that Bushore had a debt balance of about $277,000, including $78,000 that was past due. Police also identified what seemed to be substantial amounts of spending on recreational activities, including gambling, reflecting their review of Bushore's records retrieved from Rocky Gap Casino in Flintstone, Md.

Bushore acknowledged to Kopriva that Zang had challenged her charges and reviewed the evidence with her. Online court records show the case was up for jury selection in mid-2023, which was canceled in light of ongoing plea negotiations.

Smith said that if Bushore had opted for a jury trial and been convicted, she would have been looking at a state prison sentence.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.