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Former PA Hospital Director Embezzled $600K From Charity Account: DA

An ex-Doylestown Hospital director is accused of siphoning over $600,000 from a corporate account filled with charitable donations, according to prosecutors. 

Norma Galarza

Norma Galarza

Photo Credit: Bucks County DA

Norma Galagarza, 68, of Chalfont, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, forgery, and related counts, said the Bucks District Attorney's Office. 

As the hospital's Director of Medical Staff, authorities said Galagarza was responsible for managing the Charitable Fund, an employee benevolent program financed through donations. 

Hospital administrators contacted police in January 2022 when they began receiving insufficient fund notices for the charitable account. 

The Fund had been dormant since sometime around 2007, and administrators didn't realize the account was still open until they began receiving the bank notices, they told authorities. 

Investigators examined the account records and found 896 unauthorized transactions totaling $604,702.29 dating from 2008 to 2021. 

They also found that the mailing address for the account had been changed from the hospital to Galagarza's home address, according to prosecutors. 

Authorities believe she used the embezzled money to pay taxes, cell phone bills, car payments, and credit card debt. 

Galagarza was arraigned Tuesday, Oct. 24, and released on a $250,000 bond, court records show. She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 13. 

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