September 28, 2016
A Delaware woman was arrested for embezzling more than $600,000 from a Philadelphia nonprofit organization that serves children with mental and behavioral health disorders, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Sonja McQuillar, 50, of New Castle, was charged with two counts of theft from a program that received federal funds and one count of making a false statement.
According to authorities, McQuillar served as the director of health and information management at Northern Children’s Services (NCS). She was responsible for verifying invoices and submitting them for payment.
An investigation was initiated by the FBI following a tip to the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General.
McQuillar is accused of writing invoices for relatives and friends who did not work for the organization. She also allegedly prepared invoices for NCS consultants for work they did not perform. McQuillar would later forge signatures to cash the checks.
Between December 2002 and April 2014, McQuillar illegally acquired approximately $607,067.
“Every nonprofit that receives taxpayer funding accepts a responsibility to give charitably with integrity. These funds were designated to help some of Philadelphia’s children who are most in need,” said Inspector General Amy L. Kurland. “I'm grateful for our federal law enforcement partners for their close cooperation in this investigation.”
If convicted, McQuillar faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, a $750,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $300 special assessment.
